NewsNewsWorld War Two: We were thereD-Day: ‘I often wonder why I lived while others died’On the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, surviving veterans share their memories.D-Day 80: We Were ThereEighty years on, Rachel Burden hears the stories and memories of the UK's D-Day veterans.27 May 2024John McOwan: ‘We hoodwinked Hitler’At the age of 102, John McOwan shares his experiences of sailing across the English Channel on D-Day.23 May 2024Joe Cattini: I saw teen soldiers crying for their mothersLanding on Gold Beach on D-Day, Joe remembers the young men who didn't make it ashore4 Jun 2024UKBill Gladden: 'I made a rather unorthodox landing in Normandy'Bill Gladden arrived in France on D-Day and recalls seeing a countryside covered in silver foil.26 Apr 2024SuffolkGeorge Spencer: 'I had the best view of the landings'D-Day veteran George Spencer recalls working in an air defence position on the battleship HMS Nelson.31 May 2024'This was going to be the beginning of the end of the war'D-Day veteran Stan Mincher recounts arriving on Juno Beach with "high hopes", and the weight of responsibility.31 May 2024Ken Cooke: 'I'd never been on a boat before'D-Day veteran Ken Cooke recalls his memories of the “continuous noise” on the beaches of Normandy.21 May 2024Do you or someone you know have a story to share?The BBC is looking to gather first-hand accounts of World War Two. Please get in touch.Biden says fight for Ukraine echoes struggle for freedom on D-DayWatch and follow live as events take place across northern France and the UK to remember the Normandy landings.Veterans' stories'I did things in the war I still can't talk about'John Shannon was a school teacher before joining the Navy and being sent on secret missions.1 Jul 2023UK'The tannoy announced that the German war had ended'Reg Holbrook joined the Navy and ended up on a ship with no idea of his destination.10 Nov 2023UK'You had to be courageous in resistance'Lucia Drabik was a member of the Italian resistance during World War Two.12 Jul 2023UK'When we got over the target all hell broke loose'Tony Piper didn’t want to go into the army but he was interested in radar and decided to join the RAF.10 Nov 2023UK'I'm no ruddy hero'Alfred “Barney” Barnett joined the RAF after his mother’s house was bombed and he decided it was time to fight back.10 Nov 2023UKD-Day10 things you might not know about D-DayIn June 1944, British, US and Canadian forces invaded Nazi-occupied France.Was this the most crucial forecast in history?Weather forecasters in 1944 were under immense pressure to get the forecast right so that an allied invasion of France could go aheadWhat were the D-Day landings?The King, Queen and Prince of Wales joined veterans to mark the Normandy landings' 80th anniversary.Women at war'We had to confuse the German bombers'Pamela Galloway was involved in the Battle of the Beams as both the RAF and Luftwaffe tried to confuse enemy aircraft and direct them off-target.10 Nov 2023UKGwen Piper: 'Within six months I was in uniform'Gwen Piper helped aircrew fly safely by monitoring the weather at the bases where she was stationed.10 Nov 2023UKConnie Evans: 'You had to work fast' on WW2 anti-aircraft gunsConnie Evans joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1941 and served as a height and range plotter on an anti-aircraft battery, helping to target German bombers.9 Nov 2022UKMarjorie Lamb: We made our own Navy uniformsAs an officer in the Women's Royal Naval Service, Marjorie Lamb learned to decode messages.13 Dec 2022UKOlive Mitton: I delivered the mail at Bletchley ParkOlive Mitton was just 14 when she was given a job delivering messages to the top secret code breakers.14 Jun 2023UKMinnie Bailey: I'd never had new clothes before I joined the Air ForceMinnie was a cook for Bomber Command and would prepare meals for crews flying night-time missions.14 Jun 2023UKElsie Ellis: I was blown off my bike by bomb blastElsie was responsible for carrying information about bomb damage in Salford and Manchester.8 Feb 2023UKAnswering the call from EmpireNeil Flanigan: 'People from the Empire and Commonwealth died'As a teenager in Jamaica, Neil Flanigan joined the Armed Forces after seeing an advert in a paper.Muhammad Hussain: I ran away from home to enlist at 16Muhammad's father refused to let him join the army so he ran away from home in Rawalpindi to enlist.Jake Jacob: 'You were treated as a nonentity'He joined the RAF during World War Two, but his white wife's family refused to attend their wedding.The Royal Navy'I had the best view ever of the landings in Normandy'D-Day veteran George Spencer recalls working in an air defence position on the battleship HMS Nelson.Christopher Cartledge: 'I took part in an attack on the Tirpitz'As a Royal Navy pilot, Christopher Cartledge took part in a bombing raid on the pride of the German fleet.John Dennett: 'I'm lucky I've had 70 years of freedom'The veteran served at every major Allied landing: North Africa, Italy, Normandy.George Notley: 'We boys didn't know what was ahead'After seeing a sailor in uniform while delivering milk, George Notley joined the Navy at 15, before the war.Christian Lamb: 'You had no idea what was going to happen'Christian Lamb was forced to say goodbye to the man she'd decided to marry just 10 days after meeting him.The Army'The German army blew up a cup of tea next to me'Peter Davies: I was thrown out of a glider cockpitVeteran Peter Davies served as a glider pilot during Operation Varsity.Mervyn Kersh: Concentration camp survivors' 'arms were just bone'Born into a south London Jewish family, Mervyn Kersh was among British troops involved in the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at the end of World War Two.Gordon Prime: 'Luck of draw I survived D-Day as dispatch rider'Gordon Prime, from Pembrokeshire, was a dispatch rider for the Royal Army Service Corps, the unit responsible for keeping the British Army supplied with provisions.Robin Rowland: 'I can remember to this day Urdu I learned in Army'Robin Rowland volunteered at 21 and asked to be posted to India.The Royal Air Force'There was two of you - one of you was going to be dead at the end'The veteran credits "Irish luck" with helping him survive being shot down four times during the war.'I'm no ruddy hero'Alfred “Barney” Barnett joined the RAF after his mother’s house was bombed and he decided it was time to fight back.'When we got over the target all hell broke loose'Tony Piper didn’t want to go into the army but he was interested in radar and decided to join the RAF.Minnie Bailey: I'd never had new clothes before I joined the Air ForceMinnie was a cook for Bomber Command and would prepare meals for crews flying night-time missions.Douglas Petty: You knew you were bombing civiliansAs an RAF bomber pilot Douglas Petty faced the realisation that his crew bombed civilians
