The Battle of Normandy, code-named Overlord, was one of the great battles of the Second World War in the European military theatre. It took place between June and August 1944, and allowed the Allies to open a new front in Western Europe. The landing beaches were nicknamed Gold, Juno, Sword, Utah, and Omaha, the latter being where casualties were the highest, so much so that it was later called ‘Bloody Omaha’. Indeed, 1,800 young men lost their lives there.