A new Open University/BBC co-production of a documentary TV series to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings in northern France – D-Day: The Unheard Tapes – is about to begin.
From 9pm on Sunday 2 June, BBC Two airs the three-part programme about the historic event on 6 June 1944 when 156,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of German-occupied Normandy in what would be the largest amphibious invasion in history.
It proved a critical moment that would ultimately change the course of the Second World War.
Open University academic Dr Frances Houghton, whose research interests lie in the history of Britain’s armed forces during and after the Second World War, worked as a consultant on the series with a TV crew from Wall to Wall production company.
The series gives new life to the unheard stories of people who lived through the invasion using an innovative new approach involving a rich variety of multinational accounts.
These have been told by a cast of young actors, presented as first-person interviews, and lip synced in documentary settings.
The lived memories recalled in these interviews are combined with archival footage and immersive documentary-style recreation to tell the story of D-Day, as it’s never been told before.
Dr Houghton, a Lecturer in Modern British History at The Open University, said:
“D-Day: The Unheard Tapes brings the experiences, feelings and memories of ordinary people who were involved in, or impacted by, the Allied invasion to life in new and evocative ways.
“It draws extensively on oral testimonies that were recorded with military veterans and local civilians, granting the viewer an unusually intimate insight into what D-Day meant to those who survived.
“Overall, this series poignantly highlights the historical value of capturing veterans’ voices so that future generations might better understand what war is like ‘at the sharp end’. In so doing, it invites us all to reflect on how we experience, remember and tell stories of conflict.”
Executive Producer, Morgana Pugh, from Wall to Wall TV production company, said:
“Many months of dedicated research have enabled us to discover a series of powerful interviews recorded with those who fought on D-Day, sourced from around the world.
“In many previously unheard and deeply personal stories, the real voices of those who took part in the Normandy landings will lead us through their own unique experiences; from mission reveal to the landings and beyond.
“Actors lip syncing veterans’ real voices will bring us closer to our contributors, as they tell the story of their D-Day in their own words, in all its raw and revealing detail.”
- Commissioned by Dr Caroline Ogilvie, Director, Broadcast and Partnerships
- Academic Consultant: Dr Frances Houghton
- Media Fellows: Dr Joanna Paul and Dr Emily Bullock
- Broadcast Project Manager: Clair Robinson
- Supporting Online Content: Matthew Ray
To accompany the series, The Open University has produced a free booklet highlighting key moments of D-Day. Copies can be obtained by calling 0300 303 0552 or by visiting our Broadcast pages.
Picture credit: Justin Downing for Wall to Wall Media
