Forgotten Objects: Headgear on D-Day

The decisive phase of the Landings told by the headgear, 6 to 14 June 1944.
The world’s fate was decided between 6 and 14 June 1944 in Normandy. This decisive first phase of the landings took the Allies off the beaches and got them bogged down in front of Caen. Would the Allies win their incredible gamble: set up a bridgehead in Nor- mandy to defeat Nazi Germany? The soldiers for- got headgear and personal effects behind them on the battlefield which tell the story. Each item has a story which links it to a place and a part of the lan- dings. It’s also the history of these men, these ano- nymous soldiers and their encounter with the great moments of the operation.

The objects can be situated in their context and place, thanks to the insignia and specific markings which were painted on for D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. These overlooked witnesses of the fighting allow the reader to re-experience the decisive hours of the Landings.
Discover the moving stories and exceptional photographs.

- More than 80 helmets and hats, with 300 detailed photos.
- Personal effects, moving historical witnesses.
- Never before published messages, transmitted by radio from “Radio Normandie – Place du Château, Bayeux” during the battle.
- The symbolism of the soldiers’ insignias
- The story of the landings – from the beaches to the gates of Caen - Numerous period photos