D-Day
'You looked on it in awe. To see those hundreds of ships and all the troops and men and materials that must have been aboard those ships just beggared the imagination. Really amazing!' Flotilla Officer, O'Brien Reeve
The story of New Zealand servicemen and their role in the D-Day landings in Normandy, France is not well known. In June 1944 thousands of Kiwis were based in the United Kingdom, serving in the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. Many of these men were part of the events of June 6.
Here you will find background to D-Day and the memories of three New Zealanders who were in the firing line – two at sea, and one in the air.
Commandos disembarking from LCI (Landing Craft Infantry) on the Normandy coast, 6 June 1944 (D-Day).
Royal New Zealand Navy Museum, APE 0020
Were you there?
The Ministry for Culture and Heritage is working on an oral history project with veterans of D-Day. We would like to hear from New Zealand veterans who took part in D-Day in any capacity – including serving in troopships and supply vessels in the Royal Navy, and as ground crew in the RAF. If you are willing to answer a questionnaire about your experiences on D-Day and the months that followed please get in touch.
Contact:
Alison Parr
Oral Historian
Ministry for Culture and Heritage
P O Box 5364
Wellington
New Zealand.
Ph 64 4 496 6331
Email: [email protected]
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