The 49th Division landed in Normandy as part of Operation Overlord on 12 June 1944, six days after the initial Normandy landings (more commonly known as D-Day). Barker was confident about the ability of his troops, writing in his diary on 2 June, "I have a first class party to go with − I am satisfied that my chaps are in as good, if not better shape, than any others... It will be a grim business but what fun when we see the Boche start to crack. After all these years of waiting I wouldn't miss this for anything." On 7 June he wrote, "News so far seems decidedly good especially that John Crocker's chaps are fighting in Caen... The Boche seems to have re-acted slower than I expected but his two Panzer Divs appear to be on the move... It's quite impossible to realise that we are going into battle."