Designer Illustrations for the Longest Day in History: D-Day

By Shyrose Vastani , Jun 5 2015

At 6 30 am, June 6 of 1944, thousands of Allied soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy. The war for the liberation of Western Europe from the clutches of Nazi Germany had begun. By the end of the day, 156,000 Allied troops were fighting their way inwards. Over four thousand soldiers lost their lives in the invasion, with thousands more injured or missing. The day of landing has come to be known as the most famous D-Day in the history of wars, one of the greatest amphibious military invasions.

World War II (1939 – 1945) resulted in millions of casualties, mass destruction of entire cities and people. The end of this Great War began with the Battle of Normandy, which lasted from June till August of 1944. The battle was codenamed Operation Overlord, but is more commonly referred to as D-Day. The Allied countries united their forces to end Nazi occupation in France, and following that the liberation of other Nazi controlled regions.

Operation Overlord, or D-Day, has been portrayed many times in movies, video games, documentaries, paintings, graphic designs, and posters that display emotions of soldiers. On the 71st anniversary of that monumental day, we bring you some symbolic and flamboyant illustrations by the designers depicting the invasion of Normandy.

The following D-day illustrations are tributes from the designer community on D-Day. You will notice these illustrations, reflect the emotions of the soldiers who have sacrificed their lives on this longest day in history as well as art pieces that depict the yearnings for peace and harmony. This collection is a presentation extended by graphic designers to the nation, questioning, what do we choose now – peace or war?

Let’s take out a few minutes from our busy routine and closely appreciate the illustrations below in remembrance of D-Day.