On the 6th of June 1944, thousands of men landed on the

Normandy beaches to free Europe from the Nazi occupation.

Over 2 months, soldiers of all origins were to battle in the

Normandy bocage. American and British soldiers of course,

but also Canadian, Polish, Belgian and French troops were to

challenge those from the German Wehrmacht and SS, together

with Russians donning the German uniform. Over 240 000

soldiers were to pay the ultimate sacrifice during these 2 months

of intense combat, during which landscapes were devastated

and Normandy's towns and villages destroyed, with civilian

losses estimated at 45 000.

The aim of this book is to offer an insight into the uniforms

worn and the equipment used by the soldiers who fought on

Norman soil, many of whom are now laid to rest throughout

the region's cemeteries.

Several collectors have contributed towards enhancing the

book's contents, presenting, for the first time, the finest from

their collections, painstakingly and patiently recovered across

Normandy's battlefields. Each and every one of these precious

objects holds its own share of history and many are the last

remaining witnesses of this terrible combat.