Ancestry adds UK, D-Day War Diaries and Photographs, 1944

This collection might help fill in the gaps in what you know about a British family member who was part of the Normandy landing on D-Day. A survey conducted in the UK for Ancestry.co.uk has discovered that only 25% of the 61,715 soldiers that took part in the landings ever spoke to family members about the operation.

A third (33%) of Brits with a D-Day ancestor have lost all records of their family members story – including photos, letters or documents – over time
Only 15% of people that are aware of their ancestor’s involvement in D-Day spoke openly about it, with a further 15% saying they never brought it up
17% of Brits have no idea whether they have a relative that took part in the landings
31% of family members didn’t want to discuss the landings as they had lost too many friends, 32% simply wanted to put the day behind them and 24% were too modest to discuss their role.

The war diaries from TNA document operations for select British units on 6th June 1944 and include reports on action, intelligence summaries, and other pertinent material. Is there a war diary for a British regiment or unit of interest to you? Available are;

1 Hampshire Regiment Infantry
1 King´s Own Scottish Borders Infantry
1 Royal Norfolk Regiment Infantry
102 Anti-Tank Regiment
114 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
120 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery
141 Regiment Royal Armoured Corps
168 Light Field Ambulance
186 Field Ambulance
2 Essex Infantry
2 Gloucestershire Infantry
2 Lincolnshire Regiment Infantry
203 Field Ambulance
223 Field Ambulance
224 Field Ambulance
24 Lancers
3 Commando Special Services
33 Field Regiment
4-7 Royal Dragoon Guards
505 Company Royal Engineers
53 Medium Regiment Royal Artillery
6 Airborne Division Armoured Recce Regiment
6 Airborne Division G
6 Commando Special Services
62 Anti-Tank Regiment
7 Battalion Parachute Regiment
716 Company Royal Army Sevice Corps
73 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery
76 Field Regiment Royal Artillery
8 Brigade Field Ambulance
90 Company Royal Army Sevice Corps
HQ 185 Infantry Brigade
HQ 231 Infantry Brigade
HQ 27 Armoured Brigade
HQ 5 Para Brigade
HQ 8 Armoured Brigade GP
HQ 9 BR Infantry Brigade
Inns of Court Regiment
Marines War Diary Landing Craft Reports Normandy area
Staffordshire Yeomanry.

The 44 photographs are from the Imperial War Museum.