The D-Day Story
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.
Former name | The D-Day Museum |
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Established | 1984 |
Location | Clarence Esplanade, Portsmouth, United Kingdom |
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/ |
Contents
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 to remember those who took part in D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. The embroidery took five years to complete and measures 272 feet (83 m) long. Film clips of veterans talking about their experiences give visitors further insight into what took place.
The museum is run by Portsmouth Museum Services, a branch of Portsmouth City Council, and is supported by Portsmouth D-Day Museum Trust, a registered charity.[2]
Refurbishment
The museum closed in March 2017 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 (naval forces assigned to Gold Beach) to sail to Normandy.[1]
See also
References
- "D-Day museum reopens after £5m revamp". BBC News. 30 March 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
- Charity Commission. Portsmouth D-Day Museum Trust, registered charity no. 1156976.