Alan King shares the reality of the D-Day landings: chaos, carnage, noise, and confusion.
Alan, a radio operator in the East Riding Yeomanry, tells of the storm in June 1944 that delayed the D-Day landings, and the chaos he witnessed as a young, inexperienced soldier landing on the Normandy beach of Luc-sur-Mer. He recounts crawling up the beach under a barrage of enemy fire, the tremendous noise, the carnage all around, and the death of his commanding officer, leaving them without direction.
He recalls his involvement in the Battle of Goodwood, part of the larger battle for Caen, and tells how his crew commander died in his arms.
Alan’s interview captures the horror and the unknown that many young men bravely faced. He witnessed people ‘dying all around’ but keeps the memory of his lost friends alive through regular trips to Normandy to visit their graves.