Around 83,000 British and Canadian troops, and 73,000 US troops, crossed the channel on D-Day, with the crossing taking about 17 hours.
The operation was seen as one of the greatest ever achievements in British military and naval history.
In the second of our series of archive photos from D-Day – you can see our first gallery here – you can get a rare glimpse of what the operation was like for those involved.
MORE RETRO PHOTOS: Trips to Canoe Lake | Lost Gunwharf Quays shops | Portsmouth in 1982
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1. Memories from D Day
Invasion assembly camp REME (c) The News, War Series 2983 Photo: The News archive
2. Memories from D Day
Churchill Tanks and L.S.T. (c) The News, War Series 2977 Photo: The News archive
3. Memories from D Day
Loading Churchill tanks on L.S.T.s (c) The News, War Series 2976 Photo: The News archive
4. Memories from D Day
Mulberry Harbour model, Operation Overlord (c) The News, War Series 3334 Photo: The News archive