D-Day recollections
Many of our veterans have memories of D-Day, even those who were far too young to fight at the time. Here, we share their recollections...
Pete's story: Growing up in Southampton
"The invasion fleet was building up. Never seen anything like it and never will again. They wouldn't let adults go through but the Yanks used to let us kids through and give us a handful of candy as well."
"I used to walk the beach picking up the rations that the Americans had thrown overboard. They had Russian packs which were in waterproof packets. Inside the box there would be a pack of cigarettes and some matches. And a pack of biscuits. They weren't like the English biscuits, these were quite tasty."
The last survivor
"I always remember there was one young lad, about 18, he was crew on one of the ships. He and I got on quite well, we’d got really friendly with this lad. Sometime after, I'd taken my barrel load of salvage down to the beach, stood there watching the ships, I looked up to the hospital gate and I saw this same young lad coming out on crutches."
"He said on the invasion, they’d beached and discharged all the tanks and men. All the crew were up on the bridge watching what was going on, except for himself. He was standing in the crew's mess because he was only a boy. The bridge got a direct hit. Everyone was killed, only he survived but he had a broken leg. I never saw him again after that."
Blind veteran Pete
“One time I found two great big tins. One was chocolate powder. The other was dried cream powder. I took those home so we got hot chocolate every night for months after that.”
Alan's story: A schoolboy in Brighton
"I would walk to school past a long crescent in Preston Park, which had been commandeered by Canadian soldiers. It was a great sight.
"We got to chat to the soldiers and I remember they smoked cigarettes called Sweet Caporal. On the back of the packet there was a sketch of an aircraft. They used to give us their empty packets and if we were lucky they gave us a packet with a cigarette in it!"
"My father was one of those that helped put camouflage on the guns."
Bob's story: Wartime in London
"My father was one of those that helped put camouflage on the guns. He was working where they were cutting trees down and making them look like guns which diverted Hitler to start bombing London."
"We were evacuated from London to Devon because the bombing was getting bad. In fact, there was quite a lot damage done around our way."
"So where did they put us? On the front line, I swear! They say they put us down there to frighten the Germans with us Londoners."
Edward's story: Tales from Normandy
Edward met D-Day veteran, Derek, when they visited the Normandy beaches in 2009.
"I escorted him as his mobility was failing and he escorted me because his eyesight was still good. He was 20 in 1944, commanding an infantry platoon. They were due to land at Gold beach, but their landing craft commander had 'a bit of an off day'.
"Once they were ashore, they discovered they were TWO beaches to the left, on Sword beach at the Eastern edge of the invasion area! He safely led them all the way to Gold beach, in spite of the continuing fighting, to reunite with 6th Border."
Edward also met a D-Day dodger
"My friend and fellow blind veteran Matt was slogging through the Apennine mountains in Italy with the 1st Battalion Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders when D-Day happened. He remembers the song that was popular that summer that starts, 'We are the D-Day Dodgers Down in Sunny Italy.'
"Then someone whispered: 'In France we'll fight,'
we said: 'Not that, we'll just sit tight,'
For we are the D-Day Dodgers,
the lads that D-Day dodged."
Then someone whispered: 'In France we'll fight,' we said: 'Not that, we'll just sit tight,' For we are the D-Day Dodgers, the lads that D-Day dodged.
Les's story: The beach names
On D-Day, as part of the Light Aid Detachment, Les landed on Juno Beach.
"I could take you to the same spot I landed. It’s a funny thing in the Army, no one tells you anything. I did wonder why all the troops around us were talking with an American accent. Sixty years on, we found out it’s because we landed on the Canadian beach, Juno."
"I don’t know if you know, but the beaches were named after fish. Sword is named after sword fish. Juno – I don’t know why they named it Juno but they changed it from its original name of Jelly. People obviously thought that’s not a very good name."
"Jelly. People obviously thought that’s not a very good name.”
Read more
Our D-Day Navy veterans
Thomas, Joe and Bob were just teenagers when they crossed the channel on ships providing vital defence support.
Our D-Day Army veterans
Harry, John and Richard were amongst the 150,000 brave soldiers who risked their lives on the beaches of Normandy.
Our D-Day RAF veterans
Syd, Harry and John played crucial roles in the invasion from the air and will never forget their experiences.
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