On 1st June the 6th and 7th Battalions boarded the Landing Ships Infantry (LSI) Empire Lance, Empire Rapier, Empire Mace and Empire Halberd, and joined the armada assembling in the Solent. At 17.00 on 5th June, following a delay due to poor weather, the message was received.
"At 17.45 this ship will weigh anchor and in passage with the rest of the armada sail for the coast of France ".

On 6th June, Reveille, for those who had slept, was at 03.15 and by 05.30 they had clambered down into their Landing Craft Assault (LCAs) some 7 miles from the coast. So rough was the sea that it was decided that the floating
Duplex Drive Sherman tanks, scheduled to land ahead of the infantry, would not be launched. Instead they would be landed directly onto the beach.

Salvos from HMS Warspite and other ships thundered overhead as the LCAs made for the shore.

At 07.37 A and D Companies, the lead element of the 6th Battalion waded ashore and, despite mortar and machine-gun fire, reached their first objective in only 48 minutes. It was during the assault on the beach and clearing the Mount Fleury battery that CSM Stanley Hollis's actions enabled D Company to open the main beach exit. Later that day his bravery at Crepon saved the lives of several of his men and he was awarded the only Victoria Cross to be won on D-Day.

At 07.50 B and C Companies landed and advanced under fire through the lead companies. By midday the battalion was moving swiftly towards Crepon where it faced determined resistance from well concealed snipers and a 75mm gun.

The 7th Battalion landed at 08.15, some 400 yards from its intended location and, although the beach was crowded with burning vehicles and under sporadic mortar fire, moved along the shore to reach the correct start line. Despite smoke from burning grass obscuring the battlefield, the axis of the Ver-sur-Mer road was located and the breakout battle commenced.

The lead companies soon reached Ver-sur-Mer and advanced towards Crepon.

While D Company became involved in the clearance of the village, the remainder of the battalion continued towards Creully.

B Company formed a mobile column of bren-gun carriers and with tanks from the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards, advanced to the north of Creully and was then ordered west towards Villiers-le-Sec. C Company reached the bridge over the River Seules at Creully and secured it, having encountered no opposition.

Meanwhile the 6th Battalion had by-passed Crepon and advanced into Villiers-le-Sec, to assist the 5th East Yorkshires in the assault on the village.

As the enemy withdrew, the 6th Battalion moved forward towards St.-Gabriel-Brecy, where it remained for the evening, some 5 miles inland from Gold Beach.

On the afternoon of D-Day the 7th Battalion, less D Company, continued to advance towards Coulombs, with C Company leading. Once D Company's task in Crepon was completed, it moved on the road towards St.-Gabriel. By the evening the 7th Battalion had advanced so far, it was out on a limb and was withdrawn to Coulombs.

In the early morning of 7th June the 6th Battalion was again ordered to advance and by 10.00 had passed through Rucqueville, on route for Ducy-Ste-Marguerite, before being held up by heavy mortar and sniper fire. At 12.00 the order arrived to withdraw, to consolidate the bridgehead some 1,000 yards north of Ducy-Ste-Marguerite.

At about this time the 7th Battalion launched an assault on a wireless station west of the Coulombs-Loucelles road. The attack by C and A Companies, with B Company in support was entirely successful and 50-60 prisoners were taken. By 12.00 the battalion was consolidated astride the Bayeux-Caen road.

Both battalions then commenced patrolling and began receiving reinforcements. The offensive was resumed on 11th June. The 6th Battalion had advanced through Ducy-Ste-Marguerite by 14.30, and Audrieu by 16.00, but was then halted by withering German fire. A battalion attack cleared a farm house complex despite sustaining almost 250 casualties. An enemy armoured counter-attack necessitated a withdrawal to a line between Pt.103 and Audrieu. The 6th Battalion was subsequently relieved on 13th June by another battalion and was moved to a rest area near Conde sur Seulles.

At 14.30 on llth June the 7th Battalion advanced towards Cristot. It became pinned down by heavy machine-gun fire on the outskirts of the village of Brouay and was forced to withdraw. On the 12th and 13th June aggressive fighting patrols regained the momentum. At 17.30 on 13th June the Battalion was relieved by a KOYLI Battalion and moved to a rest area near the 6th Battalion.

On 15th June both Battalions moved to Bemieres Bocage and on 17th June launched an assault on Longraye and the Lingevres-Longraye road. This was heavily counter-attacked and the brigade was thrown onto the defensive until 27th June when it assaulted La Taille.

Villers-Bocage finally fell to the 50th Division on 4th August, nearly two months later than had been expected.