D-Day: 6 June 1944, the Normandy landings, and an incredible turning point in the war.

Operation Overlord saw Allied forces land on the beaches of northern France, a staggering achievement and the result of lengthy and secretive planning and the application of true technological warfare on the sea and in the air.

Within a few short weeks, more than one million men had come ashore, along with vehicles, ammunition and equipment, though the advances came at a terrible price.

This collection of photographs from the Mirrorpix archives remembers the lead up to D-Day, the landings themselves, the devastating losses incurred on all sides, and the aftermath as Allied forces moved into occupied Europe.