On 6 June 1944, Allied forces embarked on the largest amphibious invasion in history. In this project we recorded the personal stories of those who planned the mission, stormed the beaches, parachuted into enemy territory, and battled through the difficult terrain of Normandy.
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Stanley Bond
Stanley Bond was a Lance Corporal with the Royal Engineers and was with 105 Corp...
Ted Turner
In WWII, Ted Turner was a Royal Marine and was trained specifically for landing craft...
Peter Thompson
Peter Thompson joined the Royal Navy in 1942 and was a Leading Seaman aboard a...
Gordon Henry
Gordon Henry was involved in heavy fighting in Normandy but received a military Medal for...
Michael Manny
Manny Michael served with the Royal Army Service Corps.
After D-Day he was posted...
Jim Holmes
Jim Holmes served in 246 Field Company, Royal Engineers. He had an eventful time in...
Harry Bailey
Harry Bailey worked on constructing the Mulberry Harbour prior to D-Day. For him, things seemed...
Gordon Newton
Gordon Newton served with the 9th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment.
He was part of an...
Fred Croft
Aged 17, Fred Croft joined the Royal Marines and following D-Day, is sent to serve...
Mike Brennan
Mike joined the 1st Battalion The Dorsetshire Regiment in 1943 and at 7.25 on the...
Mervyn Kersh
In June 1943, Mervyn Kersh joined the army at the age of 18 ½. Following...
Ron Stephens REME
Ron Stephens joined the army in 1939 and trained as a Vehicle Mechanic in the...
About D-Day and the Battle for Normandy (1944)
On 6 June 1944, Allied forces launched the largest seaborne invasion in history, beginning the liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe. D-Day and the subsequent Normandy Campaign were defining moments of the Second World War, fought at immense cost. As time passes, it becomes ever more important to preserve the voices of those who were there.
Legasee’s Normandy Veterans Project
To mark the 70th anniversary of the Normandy Landings, Legasee partnered with the Normandy Veterans Association, the D-Day Museum in Portsmouth, and schools in Portsmouth and Chatham to capture first-hand accounts of the campaign. With funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the project recorded 100 interviews with veterans, adding to an archive of 70 earlier testimonies. These personal stories provide a deeply moving insight into the realities of war.
As well as being free to view in the Legasee Archive, the interviews form part of a permanent exhibition at the D-Day Museum, ensuring that future generations can hear directly from those who served.
In addition, veterans’ voices from the archive feature in a series of Legasee’s The Veterans’ Voice podcast, bringing their experiences to life through compelling storytelling and expert narration.