Normandy '44: D-Day and the Battle for France

James Holland and Mike Simpson examine the preparations for the invasion across southern England before crossing the Channel to Normandy. The film takes us to both landing beaches and the hidden corners of the battlefield, still home to evidence of bitter fighting. James and Mike come to challenge many D-Day myths and discuss in detail the much broader reasons for the Allies’ success.

The real fighting begins. James and Mike travel inland, analysing the Canadians’ first encounters with the Waffen SS, in forgotten but vital battles. Tracking the course followed by the campaign, across open farmland and through dense hedgerows, they analyse the role played by supplies, and confront long-held views on the nature of the fighting in this brutal and attritional phase.

After considering the impact of Allied air power, James and Mike turn their attention to Operation COBRA. They range deep into Normandy, where key later engagements took place, visit neglected battlegrounds and absorb the immense scale of the campaign. Their journey ends where the campaign itself ended, and they reflect on why it was such a stunning victory for the Allies.