Leaflet distributed to personnel by SHAEF prior to D-Day with text by Eisenhower, 1944

This leaflet was distributed to every member of the 175,000-strong Allied Expeditionary Force as they waited to embark for Normandy.

Supreme Commander General Dwight D Eisenhower began drafting his “Order of the Day” in February 1944. His message was intended to strengthen morale before the D-Day attacks on 6 June 1944. It further outlined the motivation behind Operation Overlord, the name given to the D-Day operations: the liberation of Europe from Nazi occupation. The message particularly notes the effectiveness of the air offensive in preparing for the landings.