Lovarzi and the Imperial War Museum Mark D-Day's 75th Anniversary with Reproduction of Omaha Beach-West Map
To mark the 75th 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 6th 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
