To mark the 75^th anniversary of the D-Day landings, we have partnered with the Imperial War Museum (IWM) to create a special edition Omaha Beach Map scarf showing a map used by a British naval officer in 1944. Omaha Beach Map Scarf captures the details of the original map, including its legend, scale, and annotations, printed on 100% silk.

Sales of this product support the work of the Imperial War Museum.

Click here to buy Official Imperial War Museums Omaha Beach Map scarf

On 6^th June 1944, the greatest seaborne invasion in history began Operation Overlord, a campaign which saw Allied forces fighting through France for nearly two months before reaching Germany itself to bring a close to World War II.

Better-known as the D-Day landings, the main aim was to weaken the Nazis' position, and give the Allies a bridgehead in Northern Europe.

The Normandy coast was split into five approach sites – given codenames Gold, Juno, Omaha, Sword, and Utah – the largest being Omaha Beach.

1. Rehearsals

 Image Credit: IWM

A lot of planning went into the assaults. Landing rehearsals were carried out in the UK as Exercises Tiger and Fabius, and troops attended detailed briefings about their respective section objectives.

Those destined for Omaha were needed to establish a beachhead 8km deep; secure the villages of Vierville, Saint-Laurent, and Colleville; then proceed up the road between Bayeux and Isigny-sur-Mer to support attacks at Trévières and Pointe du Hoc.

2. Prayers

Image Credit: IWM

Father Edward J Waters, a US Army Major, conducted a Catholic service at the Weymouth quayside for those departing for Omaha. When the Allies landed in France, they faced seemingly-insurmountable odds.

Strong winds pushed the Higgins boats off-course and high tides swamped 10 vessels before reaching the shoreline. Other amphibious vehicles were saved solely by soldiers bailing water out using their hats. Preliminary bombings hadn't sufficiently damaged beach defences either, so troops faced heavy enemy fire.

3. Omaha Beach Map

Image Credit: IWM

Deception tactics diverted German troops to Norway and Pas de Calais, away from the Allies' true targets. Production of resources was stepped up. And maps were issued to high-ranking officials to coordinate naval, air, and ground operations.

While a bird's-eye view of the coast occupies the lion's share of the document, the map also shows an illustration of the landscape at eye-level, including the intimidating 30ft cliff looming over the shore. Annotations note obstacles like minefields, sandbars, and the 10ft high seawall across the western part of the coast, as reported by air cover support.

 4. Into the Jaws of Death

Image Credit: wikimedia.org

Into the Jaws of Death is perhaps the most famous photo from the D-Day landings. It shows the US Army 1st Infantry Division leaving the comparative safety of the Higgins boat for the Easy Red portion of the harbour.

Allied troops failed to accomplish any of their objectives on 6^th June 1944, the first day of Operation Overlord. Many put their survival down to luck, finding shelter among the shingle and securing two strong footholds. The assaults gradually proceeded, helped along by tanks picking at the defences, and inspired by intuitive and courageous commanders.

  5. Pointe du Hoc

Image Credit: wikimedia.org

Relief crews took over from Rangers at Pointe du Hoc after the initial invasion, transporting German prisoners and spreading the American flag to stop friendly fire.

The elevated outcrop had been defended by the German 352nd Infantry Division using long-range guns. Air support had warned of concrete casemates; covered shelters; trenches; and barbed wire surroundings.

Bombers attacked this vantage point, resulting in a large displacement of rock and clay which the Allies used to scale the facade, aided by ladders and rocket-fired grappling hooks. German troops had removed some large weaponry from the casemates to escape the bombardment.

6. Statue les Braves

Image Credit: wikimedia.org

D-Day was ultimately a success, and marked the beginning of the end of the Second World War. But the cost was high.

The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial at Colleville-sur-Mer pays tribute to the 9,387 soldiers whose names are inscribed on the field of crosses, and the 1,557 individuals on the Walls of the Missing. Museums rose up at Pointe du Hoc and Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer.

At Omaha's heart stands the Statue les Braves, a steely winged monument extolling hope, freedom, and fraternity.

To mark the 75^th anniversary of the D-Day landings, we have partnered with the Imperial War Museum (IWM) to create a special edition Omaha Beach Map scarf showing a map used by a British naval officer in 1944. Omaha Beach Map Scarf captures the details of the original map, including its legend, scale, and annotations, printed on 100% silk.

Sales of this product support the work of the Imperial War Museum.

To mark the 75^th anniversary of the D-Day landings, we have partnered with the Imperial War Museum (IWM) to create a special edition scarf showing a map used by a British naval officer in 1944.

The map, a key component in planning and preparation for the D-Day landings, features the western sector known as Omaha Beach around Vierville-sur-Mer in Normandy, France, and includes annotations added in red to show the obstacles placed by the Germans to prevent an invasion. The plan was jointly issued by the British and Americans through the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force to Allied troops in an effort to coordinate the operations at sea.

While a bird's-eye view of the coast occupies the lion's share of the document, the map also shows an illustration of the landscape at eye-level, so you can appreciate what troops would have seen upon their approach on 6^th June 1944.

The scarf, printed on 100% silk, is made in Italy and comes in a presentation box complete with the IWM logo, making it an ideal collector's piece.

"It was important for us to accurately capture the details of the map as clearly as possible, which is why we've printed the design on silk. It means anyone looking at the scarf can see the map's legend, warnings about land mines, and its scale, among much more minutiae. The annotations about potential obstacles underline the Allied forces' bravery and resilience, and serve as a reminder of the sacrifices made some 75 years ago."

The D-Day landings launched Operation Overlord, a campaign which saw British and American forces fighting through France for nearly two months before reaching Germany itself. The fall of Nazi troops in France eventually convinced German High Command that defeat was inevitable.

However, those arriving at Omaha faced considerable difficulties, including bad weather conditions leading to navigation problems. The aim was to establish a beachhead 8 kilometres deep, but there were heavy casualties; nonetheless, survivors managed to secure two footholds in the sector and further exploitation of in-land defences meant the original objective was achieved.

The IWM was set up in 1917 to keep the memories of those who fought in conflicts for Britain and the Commonwealth alive. Lovarzi has worked in conjunction with the IWM to produce high-quality scarves since 2013.

The Omaha Beach D-Day Landings Silk Scarf, measuring 70 x 90 cm, is available to order now.

Click here to Buy the scarf

For everything, there is a first time – and we are proud to present the first three items in our new, officially-licensed Star Trek range. 

In partnership with CBS, two umbrellas and a pure silk scarf celebrate some of the most loved images from the iconic show, all of which will be released over the next few weeks.

The Original Series Emblems Stick Umbrella honours the ground-breaking 1966- 69 run that notably starred William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk; Leonard Nimoy as Spock; Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Uhura; and George Takei as Sulu.

This stick umbrella has a 23"/58.4cm canopy, which opens effortlessly at the touch of a button, with bright panels representing the three main insignias from the original series emblazoned on their best-known respective colours: Science (prominently worn by Spock), Engineering (which you'll recognise from Scotty's uniform), and of course Command, worn by - who else?! – Captain Kirk.

It's topped off with the Star Trek logo, so you can show your colours with pride!

Made from high-quality durable fibre glass and complete with a comfortable rubber-coated handle, this is built to last on your voyages through the final frontier.

If you'd prefer something that still displays a synonymous message and comes in a rich bright colour but is smaller so can fit into a handbag, the Live Long and Prosper Folding Umbrella is a tribute to Spock and is further adorned with the Vulcan salute.

It doesn't matter whether you're suffering the perpetual rain of Ferenginar, the cloudbursts of Banea, or the downpours of Earth: the folding umbrella's 21"/53.3cm canopy, with automatic open and close, will keep you and your First Officer dry.

It consists of a sturdy fibre-glass frame and steel shaft, with a plastic and rubber-coated handle, so it's just as strong as the Emblems Stick Umbrella, but it also fits in a specially-designed carry-case.

Both umbrellas will be available for pre-order in next couple of weeks. We are also releasing a Ships of Line Scarf.

Measuring 40x190cms, this 100% pure silk scarf is digitally-printed so you get intricate details of the most popular starships from Star Trek. Naturally, this features the original U.S.S. Enterprise (registry number NCC-1701), as well as the NX-01 model from Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-05) and the Enterprise-D, used primarily in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987- 94) and the 1994 Generations movie but which also made brief appearances in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993- 99), and Star Trek: Enterprise.

 Further ships on the space-coloured scarf include the U.S.S. Defiant (Deep Space Nine); U.S.S. Voyager (which was piloted by Captain Janeway in the 1995- 2001 series of the same name); and the U.S.S. Stargazer and Nebula Class in the Starfleet, both of which appeared in The Next Generation.

The Original Series Emblems Stick Umbrella, Live Long and Prosper Folding Umbrella, and Ships of Line Scarf will be available to pre-order over the next month from www.lovarzi.co.uk, amazon.co.uk and amazon.com.