Richard's story: Normandy in a tank
Tank driver Richard served with the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, which was sent to Normandy after D-Day as reinforcement. Tragically, his eldest brother was killed in an air crash.
"My eldest brother joined the Air Force in 1939. He was a wireless operator air gunner in a Whitley bomber. On his 30th trip, the Whitley bomber was damaged. They all lost their lives in the North Sea.
"My other brother then volunteered for the Navy. He ended up as a lieutenant. He told me, 'You’ve got to consider our mother and father. One in the Air Force, one in the Navy... You'd better join the Army.'
"I was just 18 and an apprentice to be a motor mechanic when I went to the recruiting office. Luckily, a tank corps officer happened to walk in. I had an intelligent test thrown at me and I had no trouble. I mean, I was halfway to being a motor mechanic. 'Oh God,' he said. 'That's wonderful. You'll be hearing from us.'
"I had no idea what a tank was. I really hadn’t. I knew it wasn't a water tank, but I had no idea what it was."
Richard was sent to Normandy after D-Day.
"The Brits hadn't advanced all that much and there were some Fife and Forfars trapped in Villers-Bocage. They'd made a terrible tactical blunder and [legendary German panzer] Michael Wittmann in his Tiger shot up the whole squadron. We took over from them.
"I really enjoyed the ride across the channel. I had no idea what was going on. We landed at Sword beach, on a Mulberry harbour. Our tanks had been sent before and were already greased up and ready to go."
"It's very cramped inside a tank. You’ve got to get on with your friends because the whole thing smells of frightened human beings, petrol, hydraulic oil and gunpowder. It's a bit unsanitary, to say the least."
He remembers the dead bodies in France.
"It was summertime and a body, whether it’s an animal or a human, whatever the nationality, whether it's a Jerry or American or Canadian, we start smelling. I mean, we're only human.
"We lost a hell of a lot of good, good people, and the Jerries did as well. People go on about all this and that, but had we been born in Germany we would have been in the German army.
"We’re not heroes or anything like that. We just... if you're in a tank crew, you stick together like glue.. I mean, we're a funny lot. We’re not brave. In a small unit you mustn’t let your mates down, must you?"
"I had to bury a lieutenant and a trooper together. I knew them well, you know. It's no joke. I was crying."
"It was pretty bloody rough, actually, Normandy. I mean, the smell was appalling."
Despite the horror, Richard remembers some good times.
"Everybody occasionally has to get out to have a pee, which you can't do in the tank. It’s very difficult to pee sitting down. And I got out of the tank and, bloody hell, just across the road was a bombed out public house.
"I had a pee, nipped across the road. By God, the bloody place was filled with booze! Well, it had several bottles kicking about. So I grabbed two or three, or four bottles.
"I took them back to the tank and I got a rocket from Major John Ward Harris. He said, 'Don't you dare do that again - bloody place might have been booby trapped! But thanks very much for the booze.'
"I was always fairly popular because I was always good for a laugh. I used to do silly things and get away with it."
"If you're in a tank crew, you stick together like glue. In a small unit, you mustn’t let your mates down, must you?"
Richard is new to the charity - and says it's already making a big impact.
His Community Support Worker works hard to make sure he gets out and about and his partner, Joy, says we've made a huge difference to his quality of life. He even went to a garden centre recently for the first time in 30 years!
Our Community Support Workers are specially trained to help our veterans adapt to their sight loss and lead fulfilling lives. You could help thousands more blind veterans to flourish with this kind of support.
Read more
John's story: Avoiding mines at Gold Beach
With his famous Desert Rats 7th Armoured Division, John navigated his way into France - and saw the horrors of war.
Harry's story: The first wave at Sword Beach
Sent on a detour to destroy a gun battery on the beach, Harry narrowly avoided enemy attack.
D-Day: A military operation like no other
Our CEO, Adrian Bell, writes about the extraordinary planning behind the largest amphibious invasion of all time.
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