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This week sees the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Paris in World War II. After D-Day it took the Allies more than two months to advance to the city's outskirts.

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Allied commander Dwight Eisenhower did not relish a fight for Paris and wanted to bypass the city. But French General Charles de Gaulle had other ideas and ordered his forces to take the city, so the Americans followed.

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Parisians rose in revolt against their occupiers and helped disrupt the German defences to speed the Allied advance.

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Liberation! French civilians with their hastily made American and French flags sing the Star Spangled Banner as they greet US and Free French troops entering Paris on 25 August 1944.

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US soldiers celebrate the capture of Paris as they guard German prisoners of war by the Eiffel Tower.

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For some the liberation meant humiliation. Suspected of collaborating with German soldiers under the occupation, these two women have their heads shaved and the Swastika sign painted on their foreheads.

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To stamp his authority on the leadership of France, General Charles de Gaulle organised a huge victory parade and led it through the streets of Paris.

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It was not the end of the war but a major milestone. Despite more bitter fighting ahead, Germany was now in full retreat.