British Tanks of WWII (1): France & Belgium 1944

From 1943 onwards life became increasingly difficult for the residents of southern England. The average civilian found greater restraints placed upon movement. Not only were security restrictions operating in some areas, military forces appeared to be moving about in increasing numbers. The closer to the coast you were the more difficult it became. From the flat, muddy creeks and inlets of Essex around to the rocky shores of Cornwall the country was infested by the military. Huge camps of soldiers, vast dumps of vehicles and always the endless movement, all building towards one incredible climax, the largest amphibious operation ever mounted.
In the west, in Dorset. Devon and Cornwall, this activity mostly involved the United States Armv. To the east, but focussed on the Portsmouth/Southampton area, it was British and Canadian troops that dominated. And all of this was taking place in a region of England that was within easy reach of enemy aircraft capable of mounting reconnaissance flights and bombing raids. Of course the German high command knew that invasion was in the wind and they knew that it could not be long delayed. They could not say precisely when it might occur, but worse still they had no idea where. The Germans occupied virtually every fool of coastline that faced Britain, from the northernmost part of Scandinavia to the western tip of France and in theory every fool was vulnerable to attack.