June 1944: Boats full of US troops wait to leave Weymouth to take part in Operation Overlord.
Image by Galerie Bilderwelt/Getty
To commemorate the historic events of D-Day 70 years ago, Getty Images photographer Peter Macdiarmid captured present-day photographs of France and England to match archival images of those locations taken before, during and after the landings for The Guardian.
On 6 June, 1944, more than 156,000 Allied troops stormed the coastline of Normandy, France, to battle Hitler’s forces and liberate Europe from Nazi occupation during the Second World War. Dubbed Operation Overlord, it was the largest seaborne invasion in military history.
The photo series lets you visualize that fateful period; travel back in time by clicking the photographs and watch as images of soldiers and tanks fade to peaceful, present-day scenes. You can also click and drag them to control the speed of the transformation.
Deeply moving and haunting, they offer a glimpse into the events that continue to hold relevance today.
Check out some photographs below and view the entire set at The Guardian.
5 April 2014: A view of the harbor of the English town today. This location was used as a launching place for Allied troops participating in the invasion of Nazi-occupied France on D-Day.
Image by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty
May 1944: Ammunition stored in the town square of Moreton-in-Marsh shortly before D-Day.
Image by Frank Scherschel/Time & Life/Getty
12 May 2014: A view of the high street in the English town today.
Image by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty
June 1944: American craft of all styles pictured at Omaha Beach, Normandy, during the first stages of the Allied invasion.
Image by Popperfoto/Getty
7 May 2014: A view of the beach near Colleville-sur-Mer, France.
Image by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty
6 June 1944: Troops of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division land at Juno Beach on the outskirts of Bernières-sur-Mer on D-Day.
Image by Galerie Bilderwelt/Getty
5 May 2014: A view of the seafront and beach in Normandy today. 340 Canadian soldiers lost their lives in the battle for the beachhead.
Image by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty
[via The Guardian, images by various photographers/Time & Live/Getty and Peter Macdiarmid/Getty]