Paratroops dropped by the Royal Air Force, 1944

Photograph, World War Two, North West Europe (1944-1945), 1944.

A paratrooper greets a small boy after being dropped into Normandy during Operation OVERLORD. Allied airborne forces were dropped behind the landing beaches in order to slow down the Germans' ability to organise counterattacks. Key objectives, such as bridges, road crossings and coastal batteries were seized in order to help the amphibious forces advance inland.

From a collection of 33 British official photographs relating to D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.