Hi, thank you for joining us in our effort to document D-Day like it has never before been documented. In this string you can post links, or copies to things that may be relevant to us. Please make sure that you include a source so that we can follow up. The things we are especially keen on finding:
News articles that came out on the 6th and 7th of June 1944 around the world about D-Day
References to- or recordings of radio broadcasts around the world covering the invasion in Normandy
Personal recollections of people who were not in Normandy, but reacted to the invasion on that day
Recorded personal, or collective opinions of what people around the world thought of the events as they were unfolding
References to- or recollections of people indirectly involved, like mothers, siblings, other family, or friends of the men and women on the ground on both sides.
Advice or information on any (online) archives where we might find the types of sources listed above
It doesnât matter of itâs sections in books, online resources, letters, diaries, films, radio recordings, images, or what have you - anything that gives us a feeling of what people thought, and felt during this day is of interest. We are especially interested in international coverage and reactions outside the English speaking world.
Thanks again for being part of this effort, and taking your time to contribute.
I am just reading Peter Caddick Adams âSand and Steelâ it contains tons of new info. 2020 paperback edition. He is an excellent researcher. I can send a copy over or drop it off. For example on page 559 according to the original plan the 1st Airborne and the Polish Parachute brigade should have landed behind Omaha but however there was no air capacity for them. Had it been done Omaha would have benefited of the distraction.
He also debunks lots of myths with an explanation were these originated. Also 86 dense pages of academic level references. I recommend him.
hey - any interest in hebrew coverage of the events in the British mandate? there is are a few good archives that are easily accessible here (both for radio and newspapers)
edit: from the 8th of june - âthe invasion is advancing, despite of rising resistanceâ - âCannes is on fireâ etc
I can help cover that in my America at war! thread, but I have to start transcribing those articles sooner rather than later If those articles are needed before June 1944, Iâll definitely transcribe 'em ASAP.
As for broadcasts, the Library of Congress and archive.org, along with many other sites, have plenty of sound recordings of broadcasts from D-Day.
I tried to find norwegian news articles (because I am norwegian) the closest to that I found was a sweedish news article from june 6. 1944. It basically just the basics of what happened.
Here are some Slovak newspapers from those days. These have the first mention of invasion.
From 7th of June : Three sites on West.
First sites of allied invasion are formed near estuary of rivers Orne, Vire and near Barfleur harbor. Heavy allied losses already in first fights - First German special message
Link: UKB
This one is from 10th of June : German anti invasion machine in full action.
Heavy fights on all fronts - No allied success worth mentioning - Enemy attack heading to Cotentin peninsula â American minister warns against optimism â Bayeux city emptied â Anglo-American press sobers â Message about fight from England
Link: UKB
The Regina Rifles landed in Juno Beach. They have a great site. The reason I am interested in them is because in 2005 on a cold November day I met a First Nations film crew for âIndigenous Circleâ who were filming on the beach. Also First Nations people fought for our freed although they were not allowed to vote (fact check me I only heard this). Well here is a site about them with war diairies personnel roster with whether they landed on D-Day and if they were killed or wounded. etc.:
Since noone has contributed anything german yet, i might as well. Hereâs a surprisingly high resolution stock photo of the front page of the german newspaper Der Mittag (which roughly translates to âthe middayâ) reporting on the events that unfolded the previous day.
The Belgium Museum KBR (The Royal Library), have put online a lot of newspaper archive numerised. There is a list of the available Archives for the 06/06/1944 (There are newspaper from the 3 main languages of the country, Dutch, French and German). Hope this help!
For me, listening to these broadcasts as I fall asleep, at roughly the time they wouldâve been originally broadcast on D-Day, is an annual event. Much of the fog of war, the uncertainty, and general speculation weâve grown used to in the modern broadcast era is present here.