France

The Schoolmaster's Surprise

I first served as a stoker in the Tribal Class destroyer HMS Afridi which was bombed and sunk in the first...

Memories of Arthur Turner: Part 2: With 7th Armoured Division

In middle of a forest with all its trees, so Royal Engineers came sawed the trees down which then became...

Escape from Dunkirk: With the RAMC

After being bombed and machine-gunned in idleness at Vendeville, we moved down to Avion to take wounded...

The humorous faithful Durhams: Dunkirk 1940

When the war finally ended and the World was once again at peace Raymond went once again into the coal...

Jan Derych. Survivor's Story

I could hear the German national anthem.Deutchland Uber Alles being sung by the U-boat sailors standing to...

Tanks for the Memory!

After landing, Don was promoted to full Corporal and was installed as the wireless operator to the...

My Dunkirk Experience: 72nd Field Regiment Royal Artillery

It was a beautifl Autumn Sunday morning, my friend Dennis Balman and I were digging slit trenches in Leazes...

Return to Normandy (Part 2)

Lion sur Mer, Luc sur Mer, Langrune, St. Aubin, Courseulles, seeing in the distance, a few miles inland,...

A Nightjar in Dunkirk

George went to Ellerby Lane School and he and his two brothers enjoyed camping and cycling and, most of...

D Day 1944 — Jack Tear

We had spent months painting each nut, bolt and welding with special rubber paint to make the tanks...

Memories of World War II (Part 2): With the Guards Armoured Division

The breakout from the Escaut Canal was led by the Guards Armoured Division, the leading battalion being 2nd...

Memories of Dunkirk

When we reached the front the unit was all lined up in column of threes ready to march along the beach to...

RAF 218 Sqd. — Salvage Unit — Southampton — 1940

Complete with rifle and 10 rounds, part of 218 Squadron arrived by air, in a small village named Auberive,...

Eight Years in the RAFVR - Part Two - France 1939

I knew where the two squadrons were, I knew there was quite a lot of German reconnaissance activity over...

Fighting in France: July 14th-August 18th

He was in "A" squadron during the heaviest fighting of the Normandy campaign, transfered to...

Dunkirk : Saved by The Manxman 1940

We only started the war in France when the Germans had started to attack Belgium. Later we found out that...

Albert Hedgcock D-Day Invasion

At that time we were preparing for the D. Day invasion and I was an anti tank platoon Sgt, which is next...

The Dieppe Raid

I saw the German fighter bomber dive and the bomb go under the bow of HMS Berkley. The Canadians were...

Memories of World War 2

Way below, looking like swarms of ants were Germans- vehicles moving back and front... Came across 2 marine...

Repatriating Allied Prisoners of War in France 1945 by Edna Stafford (nee Hodgson)

There were also a fair number of Indian prisoners passing through this camp and being short-staffed, I...

Thomas Trimble RAF P.O.W. Wartime Log Chapter 1 UK

During my wait at the A/C I got into conversation with one of the ground crew who told me he had been...

All Tanked Up - part 11

The immediate effect of this, as far as the village was concerned, was to bring the Garrys back for their...

Some of Captain Raymond Frost's War Experiences Told to His Granddaughter

Had another firing camp, by then we became part of the Canadian Army as they were short of artillery and we...

Early in the war

Before this we had been leaving lorries blocking the road, in an effort to delay the Germans. He told me...

The Normandy Landings, 6 June 1944: Royal Marines

He is now 90 years of age and is one of the twindling number of survivors who landed on the Normandy...

Sergeant John Hawley-Military Service

One particular young gentleman, when pinned down by a German machine-gun nest, halted the platoon, and sent...