On 6 June 1944, the British 3rd Division, supported by the 1st Special Service Brigade and 79th Armoured Brigade, stormed Sword Beach, the easternmost Allied landing sector in Normandy. Their success secured the D-Day landing Allied left flank, linked with the airborne lodgement at the Orne, and set the stage for the long struggle for Caen.
On 6 June 1944, the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division stormed ashore at Juno Beach, facing some of the strongest German defences in Normandy. Their task was to force a landing on the narrow strip of beach between Courseulles, Bernières, and Saint-Aubin, and then drive inland to cut the Caen–Bayeux road before linking up with the British lodgements at Gold Beach to the west and Sword Beach to the east
On 6 June 1944, the British 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division landed at Gold Beach, facing fortified villages and determined German resistance. By nightfall, they had secured a foothold, linked with Canadian forces at Juno, and pushed inland toward Bayeux. Within days, the artificial Mulberry harbour was providing vital sustainment to the Normandy campaign.