Why I Wrote These Books

The “D-Day War Diaries” Project

I visited the Normandy beaches in May 2014, and decided to write a book on each beach, being emotionally moved when I visited the beaches.
This project is not just only to raise money for the Royal British Legion, but to honour the men who are buried in Normandy. I feel it should be compulsory for people to visit these beaches to realise just what we have done as a nation to keep the world in freedom and liberty. Let us get some pride back in our country. This history is no longer taught in schools, but it should be. In the past our country has been very patriotic and we need to get that back – like we had in 1944.

These seven books are designed to document all the fortifications on each beach, what the Germans had in place. Each book has maps of the German fortifications with photographs. The books detail which units were allocated to overcome each German fortification. The books give a write-up of each operation and attack, the casualties and the citations. There are lists of the naval forces used, as well as the air forces. Lots of historic photographs of the operations are included, and how some appear today.

I again emphasize my main motivation is to honour the men and women who served there so that they can be properly remembered. At the same time to raise money for the Royal British Legion and Combat Stress, both worthwhile charities to aid the surviving men and women of this conflict and on-going conflicts in today’s uncertain world. I felt that books published in the past have not really been a good reference guide for a visit to the Normandy Beaches and I hope that this material will help act as a guide to the beaches for future generations.

James Robertshaw

November 2016