The D-Day Story
.jpg) View from Southsea seafront | |
  Location within Hampshire | |
Former name | The D-Day Museum |
|---|---|
| Established | 1984 |
| Location | Clarence Esplanade, Portsmouth, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 50°46.788′N 1°05.360′W / 50.779800°N 1.089333°W |
| Type | War Museum |
| Key holdings | Overlord Embroidery |
| Collections | Military; 20th Century |
| Public transit access | D-Day Museum (Bus); Portsmouth Harbour (Train) |
| Nearest parking | On Site (charges apply) |
| Website | https://theddaystory.com/ |
The D-Day Story (formerly the D-Day Museum) is a visitor attraction located in Southsea, Portsmouth in Hampshire, England. It tells the story of Operation Overlord during the Normandy D-Day landings. Originally opened as the D-Day Museum in 1984[1] by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, it reopened as the D-Day Story, following a refurbishment funded by a £5 million Heritage Lottery grant, in March 2018. The museum building was designed by the then city architect Ken Norrish.[2]
Contents
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The story is told in three parts: Preparation; D-Day and the Battle of Normandy; Legacy and the Overlord Embroidery.
The Legacy gallery features the Overlord Embroidery, commissioned by Lord Dulverton to remember those who took part in D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. The embroidery took twenty members of the Royal School of Needlework seven years to complete and measures 272 feet (83 m) long. It consists of 34 different panels.[3] Film clips of veterans talking about their experiences give visitors further insight into what took place.
Since August 2020, the ticket to the D-Day Story has included access to landing craft tank LCT 7074. The landing craft is prominently displayed outside the museum. LCT 7074 is the last remaining, restored British-built D-Day landing craft of its kind. On LCT 7074 visitors can explore the tank deck, the upper deck, and the bridge deck. A Sherman Grizzy tank and a Churchill Crocodile tank are displayed on the tank deck, this level also includes access to the space that would have been the LCT's engine room. The upper deck provides access to the wheelhouse, a view into captain's cabin and the galley kitchen, the officers' ward room, as well as access to the quarterdeck. The bridge deck can be accessed by ladders, here visitors can see the LCT's two Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns and the binnacle, as well has having views over the Solent to the Isle of Wight, as well as Portsmouth's iconic Spinnaker Tower.[4] Other vehicles in the collection include a Sherman BARV and a DUKW amphibious vehicle. A replica landing craft personnel can be seen as part of an audio-visual display inside the museum. There are reconstructions of the operations room at Southwick House, a 1940s sitting room and an Anderson shelter. Audio guides in English and other languages are available for the museum galleries and the Overlord Embroidery. [3]
Refurbishment
[edit]The museum closed in March 2017 for one year to undergo a £5 million refurbishment and allow for conservation work on exhibits. New exhibits include the "pencil that started the invasion" – the pencil used by Lt. Cdr. John Harmer to sign the order for Force G, the naval forces assigned to Gold Beach, to sail to Normandy.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "D-Day museum reopens after £5m revamp". BBC News. 30 March 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
- ^ O’Brien, Charles; Bailey, Bruce; Pevsner, Nikolaus; Lloyd, David W. (2018). The Buildings of England Hampshire: South. Yale University Press. p. 480. ISBN 9780300225037.
- ^ a b D-Day Museum and Overlord Embroidery. Portsmouth City Council. 1984. p. 27.
- ^ "Landing craft tank LCT 7074". The D-Day Story, Portsmouth. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
External links
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