Operation Overlord
Montgomery directed the Allied ground campaign and treated Caen as the principal objective of the British Second Army.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1944 in Great Britain — Page 3
Explore 352 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1944.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1944
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 352 unique records.
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June
Operation Overlord
The British 3rd Division fails to capture Caen
Operation Overlord
A major objective, was still in German hands by the end of D-Day, and would remain so until the battle for Caen, 8 August
Operation Overlord
Caen. Commander of all ground forces for Operation Overlord. By the end of the day the Allies land 130,000 men & 22,000 parachutists.
Operation Overlord
On Sword Beach the regular British infantry came ashore with light casualties they advance about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) by the end of the day but failed to make some of the deliberately ambitious targets set by Montgomery in particular
Operation Overlord
The Allies lose 9,500 killed or wounded.
Operation Overlord
Parachutes behind enemy lines disabling gun emplacements threatening Sword Beach
Operation Overlord
Parachutes behind enemy lines & helps secure Pegasus Bridge
Operation Overlord
Commands 137 warships, 4,000 landing craft & 2,000 support ships
Operation Overlord
Rennie's division landed on Sword Beach with orders to advance rapidly toward Caen.
Operation Tonga
Gale's airborne division secured bridges and high ground east of Caen to protect the invasion flank.
Siege of Bayeux
By midnight neither Bayeux nor Port-en-Bessin had been taken, the depleted American force was several kilometres short of Port-en-Bessin but the French Resistance had taken over Bayeux
Siege of Benouville
Parachutes behind enemy lines & captures Benouville, including Pegasus Bridge
Siege of Merville
Parachutes behind enemy lines & helps disable gun emplacements at Merville
Siege of Merville
Parachutes behind enemy lines disabling gun emplacements threatening Sword Beach
Arrival in Bayeux
Schumann arrived in liberated Bayeux and linked Free French representatives with local residents.
Liberation of Bayeux
Christopherson's Sherwood Rangers supported the infantry entering Bayeux with armoured vehicles.
Liberation of Bayeux
Dempsey's Second Army secured Bayeux during the expansion from Gold Beach.
Liberation of Bayeux
Graham's 50th Division provided formations that entered and secured Bayeux.
Liberation of Bayeux
Bayeux becomes the first major mainland French town liberated after D-Day.
Liberation of Bayeux
Montgomery's forces made Bayeux the first mainland French town liberated after D-Day.
Operation Perch
Bucknall directed XXX Corps in the western attempt to outflank Caen.
Operation Perch
Dempsey ordered the attempt to encircle Caen from the west through the Villers-Bocage sector.
Operation Perch
Erskine led the 7th Armoured Division through the western bridgehead during the attempt to envelop Caen.
Operation Wild Oats
Montgomery considered an airborne and armoured encirclement intended to isolate Caen.
Operation Overlord
Manages to land 16 Divisions ashore facing 14 enemy Divisions
Bombing of London
V-1 missiles 1st land on London
Visit of Charles de Gaulle
Schumann accompanied local Resistance leaders during de Gaulle's public appearance in Bayeux.
Trial
Draws up a list of 33 top German war criminals
D-Day
Crosses over to Normandy in the Arethusa & attends a conference at Montogomerys HQ
Birth of Raymond Douglas Davies
Birth of Raymond Douglas Davies
Operation Overlord
The Allies gain a bridgehead over the River Odon near Caen
Operation Martlet
Barker's division attacked toward Rauray to protect the Epsom flank near Caen.
Operation Martlet
Ritchie's corps launched Operation Martlet to secure the flank of the forthcoming Epsom offensive west of Caen.
Operation Epsom
Dempsey supervised the Second Army offensive across the Odon west of Caen.
Operation Epsom
Montgomery launched Operation Epsom to draw German armour into battle west of Caen.
Operation Epsom
Montgomery launches Operation Epsom west of Caen to gain ground and draw German armour into battle.
Operation Epsom
O'Connor commanded VIII Corps in the offensive intended to cross the Odon and outflank Caen.
Siege of Caen
Launches an attack on Caen, operation Epson
Capture of River Odon
The British establish a bridge-head on the River Odon
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.