The D-Day Story facts for kids
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View from Southsea seafront
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| 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) |
The D-Day Story is a museum in Southsea, Portsmouth, England. It tells the amazing story of D-Day, a very important day in World War II. On D-Day, Allied forces landed in Normandy, France, to free Europe.
The museum first opened in 1984. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother opened it. In 2018, it reopened after a big update. This update cost £5 million. The museum building was designed by Ken Norrish.
Contents
The D-Day Story: What You'll See
The museum shares the D-Day story in three main parts. These parts are:
- How the invasion was planned (Preparation).
- What happened on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy.
- The lasting impact of D-Day and the special Overlord Embroidery.
The Overlord Embroidery
One of the most special things to see is the Overlord Embroidery. Lord Dulverton asked for this embroidery to be made. It helps us remember everyone who took part in D-Day.
It took 20 people seven years to finish this artwork. These people were from the Royal School of Needlework. The embroidery is very long, measuring 272 feet (about 83 meters). It has 34 different pictures, called panels. These panels show scenes from D-Day.
You can also watch videos of soldiers who were there. They share their own stories. This helps visitors understand what it was really like.
Amazing Vehicles and Displays
The museum has some really cool vehicles. You can see a Sherman tank and a Churchill tank. These tanks are on the deck of LCT 7074. This is a special landing craft. It is the last one left from D-Day.
Other vehicles include a Sherman BARV and a DUKW. A DUKW is a vehicle that can go on land and in water. There is also a copy of an infantry landing craft. You can see it as part of a video display.
The museum also shows what things looked like back then. You can see a recreated operations room. This is where plans were made. There's also a 1940s living room. You can even see an Anderson shelter. This was a small shelter used to hide from bombs.
Museum Updates
The museum closed for a year in March 2017. It had a big £5 million update. This helped to make the exhibits even better. It also helped to look after the old items.
One new item added was a special pencil. This pencil was used by Lt. Cdr. John Harmer. He used it to sign the order for ships to sail to Gold Beach. This was a very important step for the invasion.
