Bill Bennett talks openly about his service and his life, joining the Merchant Navy at a young age after leaving behind a difficult home life. He describes tough early training and rising to a wireless operator and pipeline specialist. His skills and experience led him to be involved in the top secret Tombola Division, where he played a crucial role in the first wave of the D-DAY landings, laying pipelines from the beaches. Bill talks explicitly about his chilling first hand experiences at Port-en-Bessin, on the boundary between Gold and Omaha beaches, aged 18. These experiences have stayed with him all his life. Despite his service and heroics, Bill talks about hard times after the war. But now in his 70s, he leads a busy and active life, describing his life as an adventure from which he’s never stopped learning. Bill’s interview is a lesson in overcoming extremes of adversity, and flourishing, making the most of his life by turning adversity into strength.

Ted was born into a boating family and became an apprentice towing up to 150-ton barges on the Thames. He joined The Royal Engineers as a Sapper (Combat Engineer) Waterman. He was sent to Field Company Kitchener Barracks Chatham, then to the 229 Field Company, a territorial unit in the 49th West Riding Division. He undertook pontoon training, building rafts and dismantling bridges. Ted was put on a cadre course to earn his lance corporal stripe and travelled to Norway as part of The North -Western Expeditionary Force (NWEF). He arrived in the port of Narvik to obtain iron ore supplies, facing gun fire and bombing. After damaging cranes, quays and railway lines to slow down the enemy, he travelled back on The Lancastria ship, stopping to build defences from Scotland to East Anglia. Ted became a sergeant and was posted to 947 in the world of transport company. He later became a sergeant major, working as a tug skipper and undertaking OC2 (Officer Cadet) training. As D-Day approached Ted had a detachment of army lighterman with the 953 Inland Water Transport Company (IWT).  He was sent to Normandy in charge of Rhino ferry barges on Gold beach. He describes the responsibility of the men in his ferries and the dangers of mines and mortar shells as they loaded cargo at the Mulberry Harbour. Ted brought his company back after V-E Day and was sent to Marchwood as Marine and IWT Superintendent. He was demobbed after serving for over six years. Ted later reminiscences about the fear he felt, his friendships with his fellow sergeants, and how lucky he was to survive.