The Miracle of D-Day, 6 June 1944

This year we commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944. Operation Overlord was the greatest amphibious assault in history, a crucial turning point of World War II, and a miracle of planning, logistics, coordination and supply. In this detailed lecture, Noel Phelan will cover:
⇨ decisions by Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin
⇨ strategies by both Eisenhower and Rommel
⇨ complex and detailed planning involving hundreds of thousands of men and their equipment
⇨ myriad of German defences
⇨ deception and confusion of the Germans involving Patton
⇨ clever design of much military equipment
⇨ construction of an artificial harbour
⇨ scuttling of 70 ships to form a breakwater
⇨ towing and sinking of 210 Phoenix caissons to also form a breakwater
⇨ logistics to land the men and their equipment
⇨ aerial support of 1,000 heavy bombers and fighters
⇨ naval support of 28 battleships and 56 destroyers
⇨ industrial might of America to build 1,700 Liberty ships and masses of other military equipment

Click here to download the flyer for this lecture.

Saturday, 3 August 2024, 10:30AM-11:30AM, Auditorium, Anzac Memorial Hyde Park, corner Elizabeth and Liverpool Streets, Sydney CBD. Admission is free of charge but a donation would be appreciated. For further information call 0419 698 783 or email: president@militaryhistorynsw.com.au.

Noel Phelan’s first career was as a science and mathematics teacher. He then moved into IT with IBM as a systems engineer and spent 25 years in various technical and management positions.

He has been a volunteer guide at the Maritime Museum for over 15 years. Noel was the team leader of the speakers for many years.

Noel is a Past President of the Northbridge Rotary club. He spent many years as sailing captain of his sailing club. He also spent several years with Marine Rescue and the Rural Fire Service.

Noel is also a volunteer at the Naval Historical Society where he has developed three Navy harbour cruises. He has also organised a speaker’s program for the Navy Historical Society where the presentations are delivered by Zoom to the 500 members around Australia.

He fulfilled a boyhood dream to fly a WW II fighter by flying a SPITFIRE at The Imperial War Museum at Duxford in the UK recently.