Our family happened to be on holiday in southern Normandy when we realised that the 40th anniversary was taking place, so we headed north towards the coast for a look-see.
Passing through little villages with still some distance to go, we found ourselves being cheered by people in the streets, just because our car had a British registration!
The entire coastal area was full of veterans, military vehicles and a great air of celebration. A fair smattering were German.
But what really hit was the scale of the physical remains that D-Day left behind. When you see the numbers of headstones in the cemeteries, and the size of the Mulberry Harbour, you realise that this was no small endeavour. This was all-or-nothing.
