Languages          

D-Day Museum and Overlord Embroidery

Portsmouth’s D-Day Museum is Britain’s only museum dedicated solely to covering all aspects of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France, on 6 June 1944. D-Day was a turning point in the Second World War, and a moment when the course of world events depended on the Allied troops taking part.

News from the D-Day Museum: Click here for news about what has been happening at the D-Day Museum recently.

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother opened the Museum in June 1984, on the 40th Anniversary of D-Day. The Museum’s centrepiece is the magnificent Overlord Embroidery. At 272 feet (83 metres) in length, this is the world’s longest embroidery of its kind, and the Twentieth Century equivalent of the Bayeux Tapestry. It was commissioned by Lord Dulverton of Batsford (1915-92) as a tribute to the sacrifice and heroism of those men and women who took part in Operation Overlord. Designed by artist Sandra Lawrence, the Embroidery took five years to complete. An accompanying multi-language audio commentary brings the events of the Embroidery to life.

The Museum's unique and dramatic film show uses archive film to create a moving experience that captures the wartime atmosphere. Extensive displays of personal memorabilia, maps, uniforms, vehicles and other historic artefacts complete your visit to the D-Day Museum. Full size dioramas include the map room at the Allied headquarters at Southwick House, and a Horsa glider that has landed in Normandy. A real LCVP landing craft is on display, as is a rare Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle (BARV) tank.

Dunkirk display at the D-Day Museum

A small display about the Dunkirk Evacuation of May-June 1940 opened on Friday 21 May 2010 at the D-Day Museum. It marks the 70th anniversary of the Evacuation, in which British and other Allied troops were brought back to the UK following the German invasion of France. Click here to find out more.

"Yellow Kite" opens new café at the D-Day Museum

Yellow Kite has launched a new café at the D-Day Museum, offering healthy food with a twist, with an all-new menu. The café is for both visitors and non-visitors, and is open from 10am-5pm, until 31 October 2010. Click here to find out more.

Portraits of Normandy veterans, taken in 2009

During May-June 2009 the D-Day Museum worked with Solent Camera Club to take portrait photographs of Normandy veterans and people involved in the preparations for D-Day. The photographs can be viewed in a photo book in the the museum, and are also on our website: click here to see them.

News from the D-Day Museum

Click here for news about what has been happening at the D-Day Museum recently.

Recent acquisitions

Click here to find out more about recent acquisitions to the collections of Portsmouth Museums & Records Service.

Click here to find out more about Portsmouth Museums & Records Society, our 'Friends' organisation which supports the work of our museums.

All pictures are copyright of Portsmouth Museums & Records Service

The translation of this site is offered by a third party. No responsibility is taken by Portsmouth City Museums to the quality or accuracy of this online translation service.