Britain's D-Day Heritage

18/06/2026

Stokes Bay Sailing Club. Used as a D-Day Loading Control Centre during the D-Day period 1944.

17/06/2026

Beach Hardening Mats mentioned in our recent post were a remarkable innovation some are still in place today and a few are still performing the same function.
What readers may not know is that they are still manufactured in many countries to provide solutions to engineering challenges at sea, in rivers and on land.
We are looking at ways to encourage the innovators of tomorrow to look back to the pioneers of yesterday for inspiration. Keep checking in for progress.

13/06/2026

Moving swiftly on to Mulberry Harbours. The Phoenix Caisson Construction site at Hayling Island site continues to be uncovered by the sea.

10/06/2026

Gosport Hardway Today 360 Degree image.

Img hardway dewarp edit_final

10/06/2026

The construction of Embarkation Hards made use of millions of Beach Hardening Mats, also known as Chocolate Mattresses or more commonly Chocolate Blocks were constructed from Concrete. Image 1 shows two women with the flexible blocks and others stored outside the factory at Bedfont in Middlesex.

See more on the website under Embarkation Hards.

https://www.britainsddayheritage.com/d-day-explained/embarkation-hards

(BDDH Images are free to use with credit, all other images may only be used in accordance with individual licences)

Image 1: Women with a flexible block section at Bedfont. © IWM H 40692

Image 2: Blocks in storage at Bedfont. © IWM H 40698

Image 3: Blocks at a site on the south coast in 2025 © BDDH

10/06/2026

Embarkation Hards

Whilst the focus of D-Day shifts to Normandy. We will take a look at Embarkation Hards.

The majority of Embarkation Hards were constructed between 1942 and 43. Beaches were smoothed and converted into areas that Landing Craft and landing ships could be beached for loading prior to D-Day. Mooring Dolphins were added, together with access roads and other infrastructure to manage the loading according to a detailed plan.

(BDDH Images are free to use with credit, all other images may only be used in accordance with individual licences)

Image 1: Gosport Ferry Embarkation Hard- Landing Craft Tank being loaded in 1944. © IWM H 39000
Image 2: Gosport Hardway - Landing Ship Tank being loaded. © IWM H 38977
Image 3: Gosport Hardway Memorial Garden© BDDH
Image 4: Beach hardening Mats © BDDH
Image 5: Mooring Bollard © BDDH

07/06/2026

Some interesting talks by Andrew Whitmarsh yesterday for the 82nd anniversary of D-Day.

06/06/2026

The planning is over and the landings begin.

Many reading this will already know that the Normandy landings took place over the period from June to August/September 1944. During this period Landing Craft, Landing Ships and many other vessels were travelling to and from the Normandy Beaches with Troops and equipment to re-supply the liberation force and to return with injured troops, and prisoners of war.

The story we tell is concerned with the buildup, the logistics and the D-Day period clues left in the British landscape. (Links in bio)

We will therefore leave it to others to tell the story of the landings in France, the breakout and other monumental operations on the journey to Berlin and we will reflect on the sacrifice of those involved to deliver freedom to all.  

04/06/2026

5 June
The Allied commanders meet one final time to hear the weather forecast. The forecast is good, and D-Day will definitely take place on 6 June. A few hours later, Allied junior officers begin to open their sealed orders and find out the location of the landings.

Around this time the British and American airborne troops begin taking off from bases in England. They will be the first Allied soldiers to land in Normandy, by glider and parachute, in the early hours of the following morning.

The main force begins to make its way to each of the pre-defined, and now famous Normandy Beaches.

Image: Weather forecast maps for 5 and 6 June 1944. Which make up an exhibit in the Map Room Southwick House SHAEF HQ

03/06/2026

4 June 1944
The Allied commanders meet again to consider the weather forecast, and decide to postpone the invasion, which would otherwise take place the next day. Ships already at sea are recalled. And the X Craft mini Submarines, are forced to continue with their mission staying submerged.

Allied forecasters predict a 36-hour improvement in the weather. It will not be perfect but should be good enough to allow air, airborne and naval operations to take place. It seems possible that D-Day can be on 6 June.

An Associated Press report mistakenly announces that the invasion has begun. A teletype operator is practising and doesn’t realise the machine is connected. The news is then broadcast around the world, until Associated Press issues a correction a few minutes later.

Image1: (c) IWM CH12109

Image2: message wording reproduced by BDDH.