6 June, 1944. After nearly five years of war, this was it. The fight for the free world. The Allies flew thousands upon thousands of sorties on D-Day; heavy and medium bombers pummelled coastal defences, fighter-bombers kept the roads and railways clear of traffic and a terrific umbrella of fighter cover swept the skies free of Luftwaffe fighters. Elliott Marsh looks at the vital role played by the British and American air forces during the opening salvo of Operation OVERLORD, and the effect that this 'day of days' had on the men tasked with supporting the greatest invasion the world had ever seen.