Simon Smith
First To Land - D-Day Poster - 25 ¼ ” x 16 ¾ ”
Product Info:
This WW2 poster is 25 ¼ ” wide x 16 ¾ ” high (63.75cm x 40.5cm) and printed on FSC Mix Essential Silk 200gsm paper.
This high-quality military art poster by Simon Smith pays tribute to the elite commandos who landed on Sword Beach, 6th June 1944.
Historical Context:
Amongst those storming ashore on Sword Beach on the morning of 6 June 1944 were the 177 men of the elite 1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos commanded by Capitaine de Corvette Philippe Kieffer. As part of Lord Lovat’s 1st Special Service Brigade, the ‘Commando Kieffer’ had the distinction of being the first, and only, French unit that day to land on any of the D-Day beaches.
D-Day 6 June 1944: and the landing of vast British, American and Canadian armies on the beaches of Normandy would go down in history as the day on which the liberation of France and north-west Europe began. On Sword Beach, however, a small elite unit from another country joined the fray; the 177 men of the 1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos commanded by Capitaine de Corvette Philippe Kieffer.
Created in the spring of 1944 the battalion owed its origins to a small unit of ‘Commandos Francais’ formed in 1942 which had fought with distinction on several raids, including alongside British and Canadian commandos at Dieppe. On D-Day, operating as part of Lord Lovat’s 1st Special Service Brigade, they landed under heavy fire on Sword Beach at around 07.30 hrs on the morning of 6 June. Being the first and only French unit landing on any of the D-Day beaches that morning they nevertheless acquitted themselves with great distinction by successfully overwhelming several German strongholds, including the heavily fortified casino in Ouisterham before fighting their way inland to link up with the British paratroopers holding Pegasus Bridge.
Shipping & Delivery
All our posters are rolled using acid-free tissue paper and then carefully placed into a packing tube.
Our delivery parameters are specified by the Qty of posters ordered, which corresponds to the size of packing tube required. We offer a 14-day Returns window providing the Terms and Conditions are met.
About the artist
Simon Smith
Simon Smith was born in 1960 into a military family and quickly developed an interest in history and the armed forces. Always a talented artist, he studied Fine Art and Illustration at Art School and, graduating with a First-class degree, worked as a highly successful commercial illustrator. Equally at home painting in traditional oils and using the technologies of digital creation, his pieces are often created using a combination of both processes.
Simon has won numerous awards including the Fine Art Trade Guild’s ‘Nockold’s Trophy’, the Cross and Cockade WW1 ‘Aviation Art Award’, and Flypast magazine’s award for ‘Excellence in Aviation Art’.
