France

How a Military Medal was won

This story is about my great uncle Richard McCarthy, known to his pals in the war as 'Mac'. He was...

Grace Stocks' Wartime Life (Part 4)

Ground crew and other staff awaiting demob were flown in Lancasters from our base in Upwood, Cambridgeshire...

Keeping Ourselves Together

I couldn't keep those I received from Margaret, in case I was captured by the Germans, who could've...

Lens RAF Aircrew Days

I was posted to technical training but had pneumonia and so had 10 weeks in Princess Mary's RAF...

Experince of a POW chapter Two

C' company went to Bitzing and 'D' company to Halstroff 'A' company to Metzeresche in...

The Experiences of Three Normandy Landing Veterans

Mr Lemon, a member of the Normandy Veterans Association said “I do feel proud... Both Mr Lemon and Mr...

The Road to Dunkerque — May 1940

The only thing that we found was a French army lorry, abandoned and full of cases of tins... stacked full...

Alf Mitchell’s War as a Landing Craft Coxswain

Although the conditions were pretty grim Alf's experience enabled him to land his troops and get off...

Uncle Jim - a second postscript

Then Andrew photographed me and Philippe beside Jim's... As I explained to Philippe, on my previous...

Percy's War in the Royal Artillery

Quite what Percy was doing is unclear but he may have been transmitting messages to confuse the enemy,...

Memories of Dunkirk: In the RASC

We landed in France in late September 1939 and travelled up from Cherbourg to a little village in Northern...

Return to Normandy Beaches

The party consisted of Brigadier E.J. Montgomery, now 5 L of C Sub Area, who was formely A/Q of 3 Div and...

Harry's Story: D-Day with the Royal Marines

D-day minus 3 saw him aboard a landing craft, TANK, in Portsmouth Harbour. The night tide off the Normandy...

Harry's story LCF 30

King George VI paid a visit to the landing force assembled in Portsmouth Harbour. The night tide off the...

Comments from researching the Lancaster Crash at Rebréchien

Sir Arthur Harris himself acknowledged this in his 1947 book Bomber Offensive, “There are no words...

The Sixth Son of the Regimental Sergeant Major; Part 4

We left Gravelines all safe and sound and travelled to Ghent in Belgium where we stayed overnight,...

Strategic Withdrawal

Charlie Young is a local Thanet councillor and has been the Mayor of Margate three times in his political...

A First-hand Account of the First Bridging of the Seine

This first hand account of the first bridging of the Seine by the Royal Engineers of the 43rd Wessex...

Sid's Dunkirk story

My dad was born in 1918 in Hull and by the time he was called up as part of the BEF he...

D-Day: First Day Ashore

My Commanding Officer came to the vehicles and personally shook my hand in front of the men and said good...

D-Day Onboard MFV79

Craft of every shape and size loomed out of the darkness as they struggled to maintain a rotating course...

The Iron Phantom of the Desert Pt 2

We travelled by train to Southampton and eventually boarded a troopship and set sail for France where we...

Escape from Dunkirk, shooting Doodlebugs at osborne House and V2 rockets

and we said we're going to Arras and they said “well you'd better come back ‘cause the...

Doodle-bugs - to Luneberg

I was the sole Typex Cipher bod in the Unit, however it was not until back in Britain afterwards that my...

Conscript Chapter 2

No matter which way you looked the sea was black with landing craft making their way to the French beaches...

VII. The Attack on Verrieres

Then the Troop Sergeant's tank went into reverse, Fred, the driver frantically scrambled over the...