1944 On June 6th the D-DAY invasion ( Operation Overlord ) starts with allied forces crossing the English Channel to land in Normandy which signaled the end of the war in Europe. Meanwhile London had the first attacks from V2 rockets , which caused further devastation to an already badly bombed city.

 Glenn Miller is reported missing following a plane crash.

 Allied troops attempt the largest airborne military operation in history (at the time) when the Battle of Arnhem (Operation Market Garden) begins on September 17th. The purpose of this operation was for Allied paratroopers to land in the Netherlands and take control of key bridges near the Rhine river from German forces. This was so that Allied troops could push through Germany and end the war much more quickly if successful.

Unfortunately, for the Allies, German troops were aware of their arrival ahead of time and had the time to organize against them and destroy many of the bridges prior to the paratroopers' landing. Some Allied forces made it to the Arnhem bridge but they were short on supplies and forced to abandon their plans, leaving Germany in control of the Rhine river at that time.

This mission was a fairly large failure for the Allies and many troops were killed and taken prisoner by the German troops.

The US Bombs Tokyo for the first time with B-29 Super fortress bombers

The Battle of Leyte Gulf takes place during the month of October . The main battle took place between October 23rd and 26th and was considered one of the largest naval battles in world history. United States, Australian, and Filipino forces began the invasion of Japanese occupied Philippines by landing in the Leyte Gulf. The Japanese suffered heavy losses to their navy and it marked their first kamikaze aerial attacks. The Allies won the battle and their victory lead to the liberation of the Philippines. This was a turning point in the war against Japan as it effectively cut off their supply route in Southeast Asia and was a devastating loss to their naval forces with many of their ships destroyed and thousands killed.

 Battle of the Bulge

In December , the Germans attempted to surprise the Allied armies as they traveled through the Ardennes. The German objective was to split the Allies up in a surprise attack. The battle began on December 16th and continued until late January of 1945. As the Allies regrouped to fight back against the German attack, the line of defense took on the shape of a bulge, hence the name "Battle of the Bulge." The Allies were caught off guard in the attack and tens of thousands of soldiers were lost in fierce fighting (estimated up to 100,000 casualties) during what was considered the bloodiest battle of World War II for the United States. Despite the losses the Allies were successful in neutralizing the German offensive and preventing Germany from recapturing Antwerp. As well as massively depleting German fuel and supply reserves.

Click on the Australian flag to visit the Gary's Collection a must for the fan of the Lancaster or panel collector

Squadron Leader Dave Glaser D.F.C.