When it comes to the subject of war there are few conflicts that loom larger in our minds than the Second World War.

As the years go by, passing the lessons learnt from World War Two to each new generation becomes ever more important.

War Diaries is a fascinating series of documentaries charting the events of WWII year-by-year, using unique archive footage to take you back in time to see what actually happened when the world went to war.

In this sixth film of the series, 1944, the time had come for the beginning of the end of World War II.

Chart the progress of the Allies as they regained ground throughout Italy, while the Russians pushed ever westwards towards Poland, forcing the Nazi occupiers to head for home.

The Americans were also making progress in the Pacific with strong counter offensives, steadily recovering ground lost earlier to the Japanese.

However, the most important event of 1944 was the Allied Landings of D Day, June the 6th, on the beaches of Normandy, and despite there still being many miles to go before the Allies reached Berlin, Hitler's days were now definitely numbered.

This is modern history at its most evocative, recorded for posterity by the people who lived through this incredible time and survived to tell the tale.