Original subtitles

(Churchill) "This is much the greatest thing we have ever attempted.”

(Eisenhower) 'You are about to embark upon the great crusade.

'Your task will not be an easy one.'

Man) 'l wasn't yellow but I was scared.

'l was scared to death.

(Hurt) 'Two years after the ordeal of Dunkirk, Britain struggles on.

'Despite the support of American industry and resources,

'there is little optimism from the battlefields.

'The disaster of the fall of Singapore in February 1942

'and the surrender of Tobruk in June

'bring the darkest days of the Second World War.

"But in southern Russia, Hitler's armies are being bled dry

'in a vicious fight against the Soviet Union.

'As 1942 wears on,

'the German advance in the east slows.

'The diary of an infantry officer -

"It's terrible here.

"The Russians are resisting hard.

"They are getting reinforcements all the time.

"One of our companies wouldn't fight.

"Very shameful. Every single one of us is tense.”

(Hurt) "By February 1943, the once-invincible German army

'will be defeated at the great Battle of Stalingrad.

'Allied confidence grows.

'Then, at long last, a victory for Britain and America in North Africa.

'General Alexander, in a telegram to Prime Minister Winston Churchill -

"Sir, it is my duty to report that the Tunisian campaign is over.

"All enemy resistance has ceased.

"We are masters of the North African shores."

(Hurt) "At home a new mood of confidence galvanises the nation.

'A survey of public opinion carried out by Mass-Observation -

(Man) "The general picture is one of considerable optimism

"about future developments in the war.

"A successful outcome is expected by the overwhelming majority.”

(Hurt) "Housewife, Margaret Compton -

"The outcry for a second front in Europe grows and grows.

"There are meetings about it in Trafalgar Square,

"speeches all over the country.

"Strike in the west.” 'Start a second front now."*

"But the government reveals nothing of its plans.”

(Hurt) "But secret planning for a major assault on Western Europe

'has begun in earnest.

'Throughout 1943 the Allied leaders meet in a series of conferences

'to plan the route to victory.

'Churchill and US president Franklin Roosevelt

'confirm the "Germany first" policy,

'convinced that Japan will capitulate after Germany is defeated.

"General Alan Brooke accompanies Churchill to the Casablanca conference.”

"The back of the work here is broken. And thank God for it.

"It has been one of the most difficult tasks I've had to do.

"Although our discussions have become somewhat heated at times,

"our relations have never been strained.

"I hope we shall leave here with a more united outlook to the war."

(Hurt) "Meanwhile, the British persuade a reluctant United States

'to begin the assault on Europe in Sicily, before an attack on Occupied France.

'Churchill's strategy, to strike at what he calls Hitler's soft underbelly in Italy,

'postpones the invasion of France for almost a year.

'But it buys vital time for the build-up of resources and manpower.

'In July 1943, British and American troops successfully land in Sicily.

'Hitler's ally, the Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, is overthrown.

'Italy soon surrenders.

'Churchill and Roosevelt now turn their attention

'to preparing for a massive invasion of France within a year.

'A report of the Combined Chiefs of Staff Quebec conference, August, 1943 -

"This operation will be

"the primary United States and British ground and air effort

"against the Axis of Europe.

"Following the establishment of strong Allied forces in France,

"operations designed to strike at the heart of Germany

"and to destroy her military forces will be undertaken.

"We have approved the outline plan for Operation Overlord.”

(Hurt) "As the plans for the Allied invasion of Europe are being laid,

'the United States Army Air Force and the Royal Air Force

'carry out massive day and night bombing raids over Germany.

"A directive issued by the Combined Chiefs of Staff -

"Your primary objective will be the progressive destruction and dislocation

"of the German military, industrial and economic system,

"and the undermining of the morale of the German people

"to a point where their capacity for armed resistance is fatally weakened."

(Hurt) 'Len Hagland, on night bombing duty with the RAF -

"Having seen my name on the battle order

"I once again experienced that awful tension

"which comes with knowing what we might be up against...

"and the possibility that we might not return.”

(Hurt) 'The Allied aerial bombing campaign is relentless and brutal.

"Among the British people, memories of their own experiences during the Blitz

'evoke sympathy for German civilians from some

'but none at all from others.

"Two anonymous contributions to the Mass-Observation survey -

"They didn't think twice when they bombed us.

"All's fair in love and war."

"1 feel terrible when I think of what those women and children

"must be going through. ll only hope that what they say is right

"and all the kids have been evacuated.”

(Hurt) 'November 1943. Soviet leader Joseph Stalin

'enters strategic discussions with Churchill and Roosevelt

'at the Tehran conference.

'US General Dwight D. Eisenhower is appointed supreme Allied commander.

'The date for the great invasion is confirmed - summer 1944.

'Britain becomes a vast military camp in preparation for Operation Overlord.

'Allied troops gather from Poland, France, Canada and the United States.

'The long wait begins.

'US war correspondent, Ernie Pyle -

"Some say the British have been at war so long

"they've forgotten about peacetime life

"and are resigned to the war dragging on and on.

"But I don't sense any such resignation.

"There are all kinds of wisecracks

"about the way Americans have flooded the island

"and nearly crowded the British off."”

(Hurt) "US Army Air Force General Louis Brereton -

"A standing joke among Americans is the British habit of saying,

"'You can't miss it when giving directions.

"I don't know why it is

"but the British simply can't give understandable directions.”

(Hurt) 'The presence of a huge contingent of foreign troops

'doesn't meet with everyone's approval.

"Tom Stewart -

"This place is full of Canadians and Americans.

"And the things I've witnessed have to be seen to be believed.

"It's a literal fact that all the girls here

"only think about courting, beer and movies."

(Hurt) "Maureen Bolster, in a letter to her boyfriend in the RAF -

"Their manners were so awful.

"They did nothing but criticise England the whole time.

"1 was simply bristling with patriotism.

"How dare those Yanks come here and run my country down!"

(Hurt) 'For visiting servicemen

'accusations of rudeness and fraternisation are minor worries.

'Rehearsals for an amphibious and airborne assault are endless.

'Fears about the real thing grow as the weeks pass.

'Donald Burgett, of the US Airborne forces -

"An instructor in 'A stage' told us we weren't volunteering for any picnic.

"That most of us would die in combat.

"'In fact," he said, "if any man lives through three missions,

"'the government has said it will fly that man home and discharge him."

"Now you know as well as I do,

"that Uncle Sam ain't gonna discharge anyone during wartime.

"So now you know what your chances are of living through this war -

"you haven't got a chance.”

(Hurt) 'In Occupied France, German troops had been enjoying

'the comfortable life of conquerors for almost four years.

'But for the French the situation is unbearable.

(Woman) "These Huns in grey and black are everywhere.

"How sickening are those colours.

"There is no escape from the Germans.

"They jostle and elbow you, these victors,

"murderers of relatives, friends and brothers.

"The value of freedom is not realised until it is lost.”

(Hurt) 'By the beginning of 1944,

'following yet more losses on the Eastern Front,

'Hitler knows that soon he will also have to face an Allied invasion in the west.

"Hitler, to his generals -

"The threat from the east remains

"but an even greater danger looms in the west.

"The Anglo-American landing.

"If the enemy here succeeds in penetrating our defences on a wide front

"consequences of staggering proportions will follow.

"All signs point to an imminent offensive against the western front of Europe.”

(Hurt) "Hitler orders Field Marshal Erwin Rommel

'to take responsibility for the Atlantic defences.

'Senior German officers begin a detailed inspection.

'Rommel writes to his wife -

"I'm going to throw myself into this new job with everything I've got.

"And I'm going to see it is a success.

"Our chance will be on the beaches,

"that's where the enemy is always the weakest."”

'General Sir Bernard Montgomery is appointed commander

'of Allied ground forces for the invasion.

'He has first-hand experience of Rommel's tactical ability

'from the North African campaign.'

"Rommel is in command from Holland to the Loire.

"It is now clear that his intention is to defeat us on the beaches.

"He has made a world of difference since he took over.

"We must blast our way onshore

"and get a good footing before he brings up his reserves.”

(Big Ben chiming)

(Hurt) "While the Germans know that there will be an Allied attack,

'they can only guess where or when it will take place.

'Churchill warns the British that secrecy must be maintained at all costs -

"We shall require, from our own people here,

"from Parliament, from the press, from all classes,

"the same cool, strong nerves, the same toughness of fibre,

"which stood us in good stead in those days when we were all alone

"under the German blitz.

“And here I must warn you that in order to deceive and baffle the enemy,

"as well as to exercise the forces,

"there will be many false alarms, many feints,

"and many dress rehearsals.”

(Hurt) "Under Churchill's Operation Bodyguard

'elaborate deceptions are created

'with the intention of preventing Hitler from discovering

'the date and location of the invasion.

'The French Resistance help to create false intelligence

'to keep Germany off the scent.

"Secrets are deliberately leaked

'suggesting that the invasion will be in the Pas-de-Calais or even Norway.

'The BBC French Service becomes a vital means of communication

'across the Channel.

(French man) "In due course,

"instructions will be given to you through this channel.

"But it will not always be possible to give these instructions

"at a previously announced time.

"Therefore you must get into the habit of listening at all hours."

(Hurt) 'Louis Lenay, a member of the maquis,

'the French Resistance, June, 1944 -

"We had an old radio that kept us up-to-date with the situation.

"We heard the famous line from Paul Verlaine's poem,

"The long sobs of the violins in autumn,

"telling us of a large-scale attack within days.”

(Hurt) 'Across Britain, tension grows as security tightens.

'Louis Brereton -

"Preparations for the invasion are being felt.

"All leave has been cancelled as of midnight.

"A strip of the English coast facing Europe

"is out of bounds to all travellers without official business.

"Counterintelligence crews throughout London and other centres

"guard against violations of military security.

"Across the Channel,

"the Germans are working feverishly to strengthen the Atlantic wall.

"Everyone knows the invasion is coming

"but few know when."

(Hurt) 'The Allies brace themselves for the biggest test of the war.

'Churchill, in a telegram to Roosevelt -

"If we make serious mistakes in the campaign of 1944

"we might give Hitler the chance of a startling comeback.

"This shows a need for the greatest care and foresight.

"My dear friend, this is much the greatest thing we have ever attempted.”

(Radio) "Hello, BBC, this is Godfrey Talbot reporting from Rome.

"Allied troops have occupied Rome, which was the Fascist capital.

"And are these people here delighted?"

(Hurt) 'The Allied liberation of Rome, June, 1944,

'It is welcome news for anxious comrades at home in Britain.

'4th June -

'more than a million men are on the move throughout southern England.

'Operation Overlord will make landfall on the beaches of Normandy.

'The attack is imminent.

'Captain Douglas Aitken, a medical officer, 24th Lancers -

"Only seven miles to go to the docks but the trip's a slow one.

"American military police in their Jeep lead us all the way.

"We pass along well-known roads.

"1 take a deeper than normal interest in these last glimpses of England.

"1 find myself thinking foolish thoughts about not coming back,

"or being away for a hell of a long time."

(Hurt) 'In addition to the vast armada of men and their machines of war,

'hundreds of war correspondents from all over the world await the invasion.

'Ernie Pyle is one of them -

"None of us knew when the invasion would be or where.

"Some eager ones tried to pull strings to get front seats in the invasion.

"Others with better judgment just kept quiet and let matters take their course.”

(Hurt) "Captain Smith, Number Four Commando -

"There was more than the usual quota of farewells bandied between friends.

"1 have never loved Britain so truly as at that moment.

"It was exhilarating, glorious...

"and heartbreaking.”

Hurt) 'Captain Alastair Bannerman -

"The deck is packed with tractors,

"Jeeps, personnel carriers,

"guns and tanks.

"1 haven't much time left.

"1 know I'm no hero.

"1 pray for the courage.”

(Hurt) 'The invasion plan requires the high tides of a full moon

'and a clear night but the weather deteriorates.

'Eisenhower postpones the departure of the troops

'from English shores by 24 hours.

'Any further delay will rule out an invasion for a month.

'The D-day landings will now take place on the 6th June.

'For the assault troops now crowded into more than 2,000 transport vessels,

'the delay adds to the tension.

'Bob Cotch, 116th Infantry Regiment -

"The weather looked so bad

"we wondered whether the whole thing would be called off.

"We played cards,

"relaxed as much as possible,

"thought about our families

"and prayed.

"Some boys said they knew they'd never make it.

"1 wasn't yellow but I was scared.

"No question about it, I was scared to death.”

(Hurt) '5th June. D-day minus one.

'Following the long delay in harbour, the cross-Channel journey begins.

'The Normandy beaches are almost 100 miles from the south coast of England.

'Lieutenant Sydney Beck -

"The great decision was taken.

"The armada set sail despite most unfavourable weather reports.

"As they steamed by Captain Perry and Captain Hall flashed signals by lamp.

"'Good luck.'

"As we passed The Needles and felt the first Atlantic swells,

"we knew there was no turning back.

"The Solent was chock-a-block with ships of all shapes and sizes,

"all straining at the leash,

"waiting for the greatest amphibious operation the world had ever seen.”

(Hurt) "Able seaman Bill Cutler is aboard HMS Lance -

"What a task we have ahead of us.

"What losses are we to suffer?

"All are going in fully knowing the task set.

"We will not fail.”

(Hurt) 'The fleet reaches its assembly point in mid-Channel.

'The rough seas have convinced Hitler that an attack is unlikely.

'False intelligence has suggested

'that the invasion will take place anywhere but on the coast of Normandy

'and on any day except the 6th of June.

'Erwin Rommel has left for Germany to celebrate his wife's birthday.

'The order of the day

'is issued by Supreme Commander General Eisenhower -

"You are about to embark upon the great crusade

"toward which we have striven these many months.

"The eyes of the world are upon you.

"The hope and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere

"march with you.

"Your task will not be an easy one

"but this is the year 1944,

"The tide has turned.

"The free men of the world are marching together to victory.

"Good luck.”

(Hurt) "As more than 2,000 Allied ships

'head to the French coast under cover of darkness,

'British and American airborne troops prepare to take off for France.

'Private George Alex, 82nd Airborne Division -

"1 was getting nervous, butterflies in my stomach.

"We were told that the entire coast of France was mined.

"Fields were flooded to keep our gliders from landing.

"We didn't know what to expect, so we expected the worst."”

(Hurt) 'Dawn. 6th June.

'D-day.

'Massive Allied airpower is unleashed on northern France.

'Nearly 200 ships bombard 50 miles of the Normandy coastline.

'Bill Cutler -

"Battleships, cruisers, destroyers.

"Pounding away at the enemy beaches.

"Goodness knows how any living thing can stand up to such terrific battering."”

(Hurt) 'Lieutenant Cyrus Idelett, USS Bayfield -

"It was like a thousand Fourth of Julys rolled into one.

"The resounding blasts were terrifying.

"The ship shook and quivered

"as if she knew what was happening.”

(Hurt) 'US forces are to attack the beaches codenamed Utah and Omaha.

'Corporal Gil Murdoch, on his way to Omaha -

"The transporters cut engines.

"We clambered over the railings into the landing craft.

"Some guys were seasick.

"Some were arguing over little things that didn't count.

"Some guys, like myself,

"were just standing there, thinking,

"and shivering."”

'Sergeant Levers of the Canadian Scottish Regiment

'approaches Juno Beach.

"The machine-gun bullets are starting to whine.

"The boys are keeping their heads down.

"Here we go.

"The ramp is down."

(Gunfire and air-raid sirens)

(Hurt) "On Omaha, Sergeant Harry Bear -

"My radio man had his head blown off three yards from me.

"The beach was covered with bodies.

"Men with no legs, no arms.

"God, it was awful.”

(Hurt) "Lieutenant Alex Sudborough,

"'No. 45 Commando, Royal Marines, Sword Beach -

"1 couldn't help noticing the sweet, sickly smell

"and the number of battledressed bodies surrounded by a pinkish tinge,

"gently floating on the tide line."

(Hurt) "Captain Jim Roberts, Omaha -

"There were bodies everywhere.

“As I went by, I heard people screaming for morphine.

"There wasn't a thing I could do."

(Hurt) 'Lieutenant John Pelly of the Royal Navy

'is aboard HMS Eglinton,

'watching the return of the landing craft from the first assault wave.

"I'll never forget the chaos.

"A mixture of blood and fuel

"with legs and heads sticking out.

"They came alongside.

"We hauled the wounded out and placed them on the deck in their awful suffering,

"doing what little we could.”

Hurt) 'Canadian Charlie Martin -

"We had all joined up in 1940.

"Had trained together, had lived together

"and had just been together every day for the last four years.

"Friends who became brothers.

"Only to lose more than half of us.”

(Radio archive) "This is the BBC Home Service.

"D-day has come.

"Under the command of General Eisenhower,

"Allied naval forces supported by strong air forces

"began landing Allied armies this morning

"on the northern coast of France.”

(Hurt) 'By the end of D-day,

"more than 180,000 Allied troops

'have secured a narrow beachhead in Normandy.

'In some places, they have advanced up to five miles inland.

'Although the airborne assault has been fraught with difficulty,

'most units have been joined by land troops.

"More than 2,500 Allied men, mostly Americans,

'have lost their lives.

'Many more German defenders are dead.

'Thousands of French civilians have died in bombing raids.

'But the Allies' veil of secrecy around the invasion

'had so effectively convinced Hitler and his High Command

'that the attack would come in the Pas-de-Calais,

'the Germans have limited resources for a counterattack.

'A week after the invasion, Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke arrives in Normandy -

"The scene was beyond description.

"Everywhere was covered with ships of all shapes and sizes.

"There was a sense of continuous activity.

"It was a wonderful moment to find myself re-entering France

"almost four years after being thrown out.”

(Hurt) 'Gigantic floating harbours, Mulberries,

'an idea initiated by Churchill himself, had been towed across the Channel.

'The Mulberries become the vital supply point

'for up to 10,000 tons of material per day.

'Inland, Allied troops are adapting to their role as liberators.

'War photographer Robert Capper -

"We received a little book telling us how to address the natives.

"Bonjour, monsieur. Nous sommes les amis américains.

"That was for addressing the men.

"Bonjour, mademoiselle. Voulez-vous faire une promenade avec moi?

"That was for the girls.

"The first one meant, 'Mister, don't shoot me!"

"And the other could mean anything."”

Hurt) 'But not everyone welcomes the Allied presence.

'Sir Alan Brooke -

"The French did not seem in any way pleased to see us arrive

"as a victorious army, to liberate France.

"They had been quite content as they were.

"We were bringing war and desolation to their country.”

(Hurt) 'Richard Greenwood, Royal Tank Regiment -

"Saw a few natives on today's journey through villages and fields.

"Not much evidence of enthusiasm amongst them.

"Perhaps they resent our intrusion.

"1 can well understand this.

"Their former lovely countryside is now a battleground.”

(Hurt) "Over the coming weeks, the land battle intensifies.

'The German army repeatedly attempts fierce counterattacks.

'The Normandy countryside,

'with its patchwork of small fields and tall hedgerows,

'proves to be a difficult battleground.

'But overwhelming Allied air power is crucial in the battle.

'Field Marshall von Krueger replaces Rommel in July.

'He writes to Hitler -

"In the face of the enemy's complete command of the air,

"there is no possibility of our finding a strategy

"to counterbalance its truly annihilating effect unless we retreat.

"In spite of intense efforts,

"the moment has drawn near when this front will break."

(Hurt) 'German confidence is ebbing.

'Of those captured, many are young and inexperienced.

'Some are East Europeans forced into fighting for Hitler's cause.

'General Gunther BElumentritt,

"Chief of Staff to the Supreme Commander in the west -

"Our forces are being bled white.

"The replacement situation is impossible.

"We simply don't have the men to contain the pressure any more.”

(Hurt) 'By late July, the Allies achieve a breakthrough.

'Saint-Lo and Caen are captured

'but the victories come at a price.

'In the assault on Saint-Lo, more than 3,000 Americans are Killed.

'On August 26th, Allied troops celebrate the liberation of Paris.

'General Charles de Gaulle, the exiled commander of Free French Forces

'returns to lead the triumphant parade.

'Lieutenant John Oslent, 4th US Infantry Division -

"In the street was the largest crowd I've ever seen.

"Thousands of people, all there to see de Gaulle.

"And to celebrate the liberation of their city.

"They had waited four years for this day.”

(Hurt) 'Elizabeth de Mirabelle of the Free French -

"It was beyond all we could have imagined.

"The atmosphere of feverish joy was overwhelming.

"The excitement was intoxicating.

"Yet death and suffering still lay at the door.”

(Hurt) 'The battle for Normandy has been a long and bitter fight.

'Almost half a million Allied and German troops are dead,

'injured or missing in action.

'Though the war is not yet over

'and it will be many months before the Allies reach Berlin,

'the events of D-day and the battle for Normandy

'are the beginning of the end for Hitler's Third Reich.

'From the memoirs of Ernie Pyle,

'killed in action by the Japanese in April 1945.

"His account for August 1944, Paris -

"One cannot help but be moved by the colossus of our invasion.

"It was a bold and mighty thing,

"one of the epics of all history.

"1 hope that we can rejoice in victory,

"but humbly.

"The dead men would not want us to gloat.”