D-Day from above: The haunting aerial images which show the true cost of the invasion 75 years on

On the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy these haunting pictures show how lives were changed forever by the invasion.

From reconnaissance images taken by RAF crews before and during Operation Overlord to cemeteries filled with crosses, the images show just how pivotal the securing of the seaside town was for the Allies.

Around 4,400 Allied troops paid the ultimate price for ensuring D-Day was one of the most successful military operations the world has ever seen.

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With the simple words "OK, let's go", General Dwight Eisenhower set in motion the greatest military attack in history.

Exact figures for Allied fatalities on D-Day itself are not available but the latest estimate puts the toll at 4,400.

D-Day established another front in Europe, locking Germany into conflict in France, Italy and Russia. It helped overwhelm Hitler's Nazi Reich and led eventually to the Allies' victory in Europe in May 1945.