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A set of 5 Maps of the D Day landing beaches - Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha, Utah presented in a folder.

Accurate and up to date intelligence was essential to the success of the planned assault on the Normandy beaches, and the information shown on these maps had to be gathered without a hint of interest in the area being disclosed. Hydrographic surveyors were sent by the Admiralty to make rapid reconnaissance surveys of the coast under the cover of darkness, though at the time they were kept blissfully unaware of the significance of their work.

In August 1943 a special covert unit was set up to gather this information - codenamed Operation Neptune. Based at Cowes on the Isle of Wight, two Hydrographic surveyors, Lieutenant Commander Berncastle and Lieutenant Glen, were issued with two 32 -foot Landing Craft in which to operate. The low profile of these vessels made them difficult to detect by German radar and canoes were used when daring landings on the beaches were required.

The surveying could only take place under certain conditions - when there was no moon and a high tide during the small hours. On dark nights the craft were towed halfway across the Channel (to save fuel, as there was little storage space on board) then motored quietly the rest of the way using silenced engines and underwater exhausts. The surveyours would begin their work just before midnight and were under strict instructions to leave the French coast by 04:00 hours to meet up with the gun boat and be towed back to safety. The Top Secret information they gathered was added to the charts and landing maps by draughtsmen at the Hydrographic Office.