John Sheldon's photos with the keyword: D Day

The Major Richard Winters Memorial at Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Normandy. Major Winters inspired a TV series, Band of Brothers. He served in the 101st Airborne Division (the ‘Screaming Eagles’) and was noted for his exceptional leadership when American forces parachuted into Normandy for the D-Day invasion on 6 June 1944. He led ‘Easy Company’ a name that sits strangely with his motto ‘Hang Tough’. On the plinth: "Wars do not make men great, but they do bring out the greatness in good men. Les guerres ne font pas les grands hommes, mais elles révélent la grandeur des hommes justes;" and “In honour of Dick Winters and all those American junior officers who led the way on D-Day, June 6, 1944. May we never forget their leadership under fire.”

A partial record of American lives lost in the D-Day invasion on 6 June 1944, that forms part of the 101st Airborne Division (U.S Army) memorial at Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Normandy. This picture has been slightly modified in order to remove some colours patches which were detracting from its impact.

In the quite village of Sainte-Mère-Eglise, Normandy, France. This well used votive candle stand is in the church building on whose tower an American paratrooper, John Steele, hung helplessly during the D-day invasion of Normandy in June 1944. This event was included in the 1962 film "The Longest Day".

In the quite village of Sainte-Mère-Eglise, Normandy, France. As depicted in the 1962 film The Longest Day, there was fierce fighting here as the D-day invasion of Normandy began and American parachutists started to land and were challenged by German occupying forces. One of the Americans, John Steele, famously got his parachute caught on the church tower and hung there in that exposed position for two hours while the battle raged below.

In the quite village of Sainte-Mère-Eglise, Normandy, France. As depicted in the 1962 film The Longest Day, there was fierce fighting here as the D-day invasion of Normandy began and American parachutists started to land and were challenged by German occupying forces. One of the Americans, John Steele, famously got his parachute caught on the church tower and hung there in that exposed position for two hours while the battle raged below.

At the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial at Coleville-sur-Mer in Normandy, France. This is close to the coastline that was code-named Omaha Beach during the Invasion of Normandy in June 1944. This was the beach where most of the troops from the USA landed on D-Day. The Memorial area is organized around this 22-foot tall bronze statue, “The Spirit of American Youth Rising From the Waves.” The statue faces west toward the headstones of the 9,380 USA service personnel buried in the cemetery area. Most of these lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations.

At the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial at Coleville-sur-Mer in Normandy, France. This is close to the coastline that was code-named Omaha Beach during the Invasion of Normandy in June 1944. This was the beach where most of the troops from the USA landed on D-Day. The Memorial area is organized around this 22-foot tall bronze statue, “The Spirit of American Youth Rising From the Waves.” The statue faces west toward the headstones of the 9,380 USA service personnel buried in the cemetery area. Most of these lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations.

My picture gives no sense of scale, but this is one of four urns each about 4 feet (1.2 metres) tall. The Memorial is linked with a cemetery in which 9,380 USA service personnel are buried, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings in 1944 or in the ensuing operations. This urn represents words with which troops from both Jewish and Christian backgrounds will have been familiar: “The spirit of the lord moved on the face of the waters.” This seems to be fitting, since the Cemetery contains the graves of Christians and Jews, who fell together serving a common purpose. On the water, a spray of laurel recalls to memory those who lost their lives at sea; a rainbow emanates from each hand of the figure symbolizing hope and peace.

The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is at Coleville-sur-Mer in Normandy, France. It overlooks the coastline that was code-named Omaha Beach during the Invasion of Normandy in June 1944. This was the beach where most of the troops from the USA landed on D-Day. The Memorial area is organized around a 22-foot tall bronze statue, “The Spirit of American Youth Rising From the Waves,” which can be glimpsed through the wall in this picture.

In the D-Day Garden at Arromanches-sur-Mer, Normandy, metal sculptures have been placed to suggest scenes from the invasion of Normandy in June 1944. The sculptures have been made out of small metal washers, individually welded together. This area of coastline was code-named Gold Beach and was where mostly British troops landed. This beach saw 1100 allied casualties on the D-Day itself, including 350 killed. The D-Day Garden was opened in June 2019, the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

In the D-Day Garden at Arromanches-sur-Mer, Normandy, metal sculptures have been placed to suggest scenes from the invasion of Normandy in June 1944. The sculptures have been made out of small metal washers, individually welded together. This area of coastline was code-named Gold Beach and was where mostly British troops landed. This beach saw 1100 allied casualties on the D-Day itself, including 350 killed. The D-Day Garden was opened in June 2019, the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

German big gun placed during the occupation of France so as to defend the Normandy Coast from attack from La Manche / the 'English Channel'. This gun, thankfully out of action forever now, is near Arromanches-sur-Mer / Gold Beach.

This is one of many memorials placed outside the Juno Beach Centre, Courseulles-sur-Mer, Normandy, France. The number of names recorded is horrifying. "The Juno Beach Centre is Canada’s Second World War museum and cultural centre located in Normandy, France. The Centre pays homage to the 45,000 Canadians who lost their lives during the War, of which 5,500 were killed during the Battle of Normandy and 359 on D-Day. Opened in 2003 by veterans and volunteers with a vision to create a permanent memorial to all Canadians who served during the Second World War, the Centre’s mandate is to preserve this legacy for future generations through education and remembrance." (The Centre's own website.)

In the Juno Beach Centre, Courseulles-sur-Mer, Normandy, France. Presumably a member of the Canadian forces that landed at Juno Beach in June1944 was responsible for this artwork. [I had to photograph this: Donald has always been my favourite cartoon character, alongside Sylvester the Cat.] DD or Duplex Drive tanks, nicknamed "Donald Duck tanks" were a type of amphibious swimming tank developed by the British during the Second World War. The phrase is mostly used for the Duplex Drive variant of the M4 Sherman medium tank, that was used by the Western Allies during and after the Normandy Landings in June 1944. (Wikipedia.)

This picture of 'Sword Beach' is taken from Collville-Montgomery, looking towards Ouistreham. The strip of coastline code-named Sword Beach for the purposes of the Normandy Landings (D-Day landings) in June 1944 covers the five miles from Lion-sur-Mer to Ouistreham. Here is where British army units, with French and British Commandos, landed on 6th June, 1944.

The pebbles placed on top of this memorial stone and the candle indicate that this grave is still visited.

Memorial stone for an unidentified German soldier killed in Normandy, probably in 1944. Someone has left an 'In remembrance' token. When I saw this it reminded me of this Babylonian text from 3 or 4 thousand years ago: "You, ghost belonging to nobody, who have nobody to bury you or speak your name, whose name nobody knows ... before Shamash, Gilgamesh, the Annunaki and the ghosts of my family you hereby receive a present, you are honoured with a gift." [Myths from Mesopotamia, Stephanie Dalley, Oxford Worlds Classics]

Scene at the Ranville War Cemetery in Normandy.