Lecture Access

This lecture will be available to view until 6 April 2026

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OVERVIEW

Watch on Demand | Online Lecture


The Normandy landings on D-Day are among the most extensively studied military operations of World War II. 

On June 6, 1944, Allied forces crossed the English Channel to break through the German Atlantic Wall and secure a foothold in Nazi-occupied France.

These successful landings marked a crucial turning point in the effort to defeat Germany and open a Western Front in Europe. 

Australian personnel participated in various roles across the operation, serving alongside British, Canadian, and other Allied units in the air, at sea, and on land. Some survived the campaign and later shared their experiences, while others were killed during the fighting in Normandy and are buried in locations such as the Commonwealth War Cemetery at Bayeux. Many more have no known grave. Their service contributed to Australia's wider involvement in the European conflict, which extended beyond Gallipoli and the Pacific.

In this lecture, Brad Manera discusses their contributions to Normandy, the nature of their service, and how their experiences have become part of the Anzac story.

LECTURER

Biography

Brad Manera is a Military Historian and Museum Curator. His career began at the Western Australian Museum and has included foundation curatorial work for the National Museum of Australia, gallery development at the Australian War Memorial and the World Heritage listing submission for the Hyde Park Barracks Museum. A keen public historian, he has led battlefield tours around the world and featured in a range of documentaries. His latest book, In That Rich Earth (2020), is a study of the battlefields on which men and women of New South Wales have served from colonial times to the present.

Brad Manera

Military Historian