"On the morning of the 6th of June 1944, the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division landed on the beaches between the Normandy towns of Le Hamel and Ver sur Mer. The code name given to this landing ground was Gold Beach. Opposing the landing was the 716th Static Infantry Division, formed from Germans unfit for the Eastern Front and conscripts from occupied nations. The initial bombardment and the support of the "Funnies" from the 79th Armored Division led to the creation of a beachhead six miles wide and deep by the end of the day."