The headlines from the Sunderland Echo on D-Day, June 6, 1944

It was a day when global history was made - and this is how it was reported on Wearside.

Today marks the 79th anniversary of D-Day when the liberation of Europe began.

The Sunderland Echo 6 o'clock edition provided readers with immense detail of the campaign and, encouragingly, reported: "Invasion Is Going Well."

4,000 ships and 11,000 planes went to war

Two beach heads had already been won with 4,000 ships and 11,000 planes involved.

Prime Minister Winston Churchill told the nation: "The fire of the shore batteries has been largely quelled."

"So far, the commanders who are engaged, report that everything is proceeding according to plan - and what a plan!"

Tweeds for 7/6 from Binns

Alongside the stern news was a front page advert for Binns where you could buy the latest fabrics such as tweeds (for 7s 6d), and blazer flannel (for 5s 5d).

For the Wearside parent, there was a display of new prams at Binns showroom in Park Lane.

There was news of that day's blackout time which was 11.30pm to 4.20am.

And the Echo also told its readers that King George Vl would speak to the nation at 9pm.

Newspaper sellers were besieged on Sunderland's streets

Echo newspaper deliverers were besieged as they brought the latest editions of the paper to the streets.

Soldiers, civilians and anyone on the streets, in fact, rushed forward to buy copies of the paper as soon as they were published.

An Echo reporter said at the time: "It looked very much like an ordinary day until the Echo appeared on the streets during the dinner hour. Then it appeared to dawn on people that the beginning of the invasion was something to get really excited about.

"The newsboys were besieged and there was great animation even among those who did not enter the rugby pack in an effort to get a copy of the paper."

Fields were strewn with Allied parachutes

There was page upon page of news from the battlefield to report.

One war correspondent told how he had watched from the cockpit of a bomber as 'great naval and shore engagements got under way’.

Just miles away, he saw fields strewn with parachutes where Allied airborne troops had landed.

And in even more fields, he saw gliders bearing the distinctive black and white zebra stripes of the D-Day invasion force.

'Free men of the world are marching together to victory'

The paper had reports on General Eisenhower’s final words to the troops, telling them: "The tide has turned. The free men of the world are marching together to victory."

Standing alongside all that news from the battlefield was an advert for Liverpool House in High Street West.

Shopping bags were selling for 4 shillings and fourpence, and rug yarn was nine shillings and ten pence.

Indigestion tablets - a big seller in 1940's Wearside

Food on ration clearly was not agreeing with everyone’s constitution.

The Echo had lots of adverts for indigestion treatments in June 1944.

One promised victory against debility, indigestion and brain fog, while another pledged to win the fight against mealtime misery’ by settling your stomach back down after the latest meal.

And if it wasn’t digestion issues in the Echo, it was suggestions on how to deal with rheumatic pains, or event heals, blisters and cuts.

Other adverts were educational and instructive and they were designed to help Britain win the war against hardship.

2p back on every bleach cleaner bottle

If you saved money, life would be that bit easier.

One of them promised a 2 pence refund on every empty bleach cleaner bottle which was returned because they were in short supply.

And another gave instructions to mums on how to get clothes clean the simple way on washday without having to resort to boiling.

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