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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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D-day
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A phrase, already in use at the time for the first day of any operation, which has become linked in particular with 6 June 1944 – the start of 'Overlord', the code name in *World War II for the Allied invasion of Normandy. Originally planned for May, the day finally chosen was June 5 but the operation was delayed for 24 hours by bad weather. Troops from the entire southern coast of England converged on the northern beaches of Normandy, with massive air cover. The Germans, uncertain whether the invasion would be here or by the shortest sea route to Calais, were relatively unprepared. By that evening 156,000 men had landed and established beachheads. At Portsmouth, the naval base due north of the beaches, there is a D-day museum containing the *Overlord embroidery. The invasion was re-enacted in the film The Longest Day (1962).
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