D-Day and the Battle for Normandy (1944)

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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An interview with

Harry Card

Harry was a look out on HMS Swift. From his vantage point he witnessed some...

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An interview with

Ian Hammerton

A very interesting interview highlighting some of the difficult tasks Allied troops faced on the...

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An interview with

John Shine

On D-Day John Shine was the 21 year old stoker of LCT1123, a 57th Flotilla...
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An interview with

Hilaire Benbow

Sub-Lieutenant Hilaire Benbow RNVR was only 19 years old on D-Day. His Royal Navy LCA...
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An interview with

George Batts

George Batts talks candidly about his life as a Corporal with the Royal Engineers. By...

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An interview with

Paul Harrison

Paul De La Motte-Harrison provides an entertaining and lucid account of his time onboard Landing...

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An interview with

Ernest “Joe” Pallent

“Joe” Pallent’s flotilla of Royal Navy LCAs carried American soldiers of the US Army’s 2nd...
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An interview with

Jimmy Green

Sub-Lieutenant “Jimmy” Green RNVR led six Royal Navy LCAs carrying A Company of the US...
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An interview with

Marsie Taylor

Marsie Taylor worked as a Wren Writer initially at Norfolk House in central London and...

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An interview with

Brian Bird

One of the few surviving WWII pilots to have flown both the Hurricane and the...

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An interview with

Walter Soper

Walter Soper provides a great interview, full of wit and honesty about his service with...

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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.

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Educational Resources - Longdendale
An interview with

Harry Card

From his vantage point as lookout on HMS Swift, Harry Card witnessed some of the most incredible scenes of WWII.

On the same day a 16-year-old Harry Card was turned away from the Army for being underage, he was signed up to the Navy by a passing chief petty officer, and so began his death-defying military career. Harry joined HMS Swift, an S-class destroyer, in late 1943 and set sail on the Arctic convoys. He describes the Arctic’s mountainous seas in terrifying detail, and recalls various hair-raising moments of his service including submarine attacks, clearing ice from the ship’s masts, and Operation Tungsten: the Navy air raid that targeted the German battleship Tirpitz. Later on in the war, HMS Swift was on the front line of the D-Day landings. Harry vividly recalls the opening bombardment as they sat poised off Sword Beach in Normandy, before describing the exact moment the ship was struck by an oyster mine and split clean in half. Despite the sinking of the Swift, Harry survived and was given six weeks to recover, after which he set sail once more.  This time he was on HMS Odzani, heading for the Far East where he embarked on further convoy duties and assisted in the liberation of Hong Kong and Singapore.
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Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Ian Hammerton

Ian Hammerton's journey as a Sherman Flail tank commander on D-Day captures the peril, innovation, and emotional toll of one of WWII's most pivotal moments.

Ian Hammerton joined the Royal Tank Regiment in 1939, and started out as a trooper before advancing to officer after training at Sandhurst. Skilled in operating Sherman flail tanks for mine-clearing, his regiment developed innovative tactics, including a system to clean tank periscopes, which inspired modern windscreen washers. Ian played a crucial role in the D-Day invasion, enduring rigorous preparations and the chaos of landing under fire. His primary task was to clear beach obstacles, despite seasickness and witnessing heavy casualties. After D-Day, Ian's regiment continued through Normandy, participating in key operations like Operation Goodwood and the advance towards Falaise. He recounts the challenges of night attacks, close encounters with the enemy, and significant losses on both sides. Ian's vivid memories include the tragic loss of comrades, encounters with wounded enemy soldiers, and accidental bombings by Allied forces. His story reflects the resilience and dedication required to navigate the brutal realities of World War II combat.
Photo Gallery icon 17 Photos
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Hilaire Benbow

Sub-Lieutenant Hilaire Benbow RNVR was only 19 years old on D-Day. His Royal Navy LCA carried US Rangers from HMS Prince Charles for the planned second wave of the assault on Pointe du Hoc. Hilaire’s landing craft was so badly damaged by enemy fire that everyone on board had to abandon ship and take cover at the water’s edge. Although still under fire, he then led sixteen Royal Navy ratings down the beach to reach the shelter of a much larger American landing craft. This in turn took them to the safety of a ship moored out at sea that could bring them back to Britain; and Hilaire Benbow was awarded the DSO for his “gallantry, skill, determination and undated devotion to duty”. He died in 2010, aged 86  
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Service:
Interviewed by:
Martyn Cox
An interview with

George Batts

It is with sadness that I hear of the passing of George Batts MBE, Leg d’Hon. I interviewed him in 2015 when he spoke candidly about his life as a Corporal with the Royal Engineers. By his own admission, he was daft to ‘volunteer’ for a posting that appeared in the build-up to D-Day. George was instrumental in our Normandy project and went on to invest a huge amount of personal energy and time as a Patron of the Normandy Memorial Trust. He will be sorely missed by friends and family.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Ernest “Joe” Pallent

Sub-Lieutenant “Joe” Pallent RNVR was 21 years old on D-Day. His flotilla of Royal Navy LCAs carried American soldiers of the US Army's 2nd Ranger battalion from the parent ship HMS Baudoin. The Rangers' orders were to scale, attack and secure Pointe du Hoc, the cliff-faced promontory between Omaha Beach and Utah Beach. Joe Pallent died in 2013 aged 90.  
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Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Jimmy Green

On D-Day Sub-Lieutenant “Jimmy” Green RNVR was a 22 year old First Officer in the Royal Navy’s 551st LCA Flotilla.

He led six Royal Navy LCAs carrying A Company of the US Army’s 116th Regiment from their ‘parent ship’ SS Empire Javelin to land on Omaha Beach. Jimmy’s orders were to land the soldiers on Omaha Beach at H-hour - 6.30am, the very start of the D-Day landings - and he got them there exactly on time at the correct spot.

Nineteen of the Americans soldiers carried by his flotilla were all from one small town in Virginia and, for the most tragic of reasons, those men would later become known as “The Bedford Boys”.

Jimmy Green died in 2016 aged 94.

Photo Gallery icon 10 Photos
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martyn Cox
An interview with

Brian Bird