On 6 June 1944, Operation Overlord – aimed at liberating German-occupied western Europe – commenced as Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France. In what became known as the D-Day landings, British, US and Canadian soldiers descended on the beaches in an operation that turned the tide of the Second World War against the Nazis, marking the beginning of the end of the conflict. More than 61,000 Britons were among the 150,000 troops who took part in the landings, in which thousands lost their lives. IBTimes UK looks back at this momentous event, which occurred 73 years ago.