In May 1943, Cyril Standiford joined the Royal Navy. Aged only 18, he worked as a seaman-gunner on board the control ship HMS Fratton, as preparations for Operation Neptune began to take shape.   On the morning of the 6th June 1944, Cyril and his crew landed at Gold Beach, Normandy, to the overwhelming sight of heavy smoke and the sound of gunfire. In this interview, he recalls the terrifying moment HMS Fratton was hit by a torpedo, causing it to rapidly sink. 31 crew members died, and as a result of the explosion Cyril, who was positioned on one of the ship's gun platforms, was thrown into the water. He awoke hours later in an Army Hospital, having suffered a crush fracture of the spine and two busted knees, which required the long-term use of calipers. After being evacuated back to the UK on board a landing craft, he was moved through various hospitals before eventually finishing in one just outside of Aberdeen, Scotland.  Following the war, Cyril paid regular visits to Ryes Cemetery in France, and was even able to help other families uncover what happened to their loved ones on board HMS Fratton. In this film, he remarks what it was like to ‘cheat death’, and reflects on how young many of the sailors were who lost their lives during D-Day.

After joining the Navy in 1943 and completing his training at stone frigates HMS Royal Arthur, HMS Scotia and HMS Ganges, able seaman Vic Ould was sent to Chatham Barracks to wait for his first draft. This came in the form of HMS Carron, a brand-new ship in Greenock, Scotland, who first set sail in the dead of night to evade any U-boats lurking nearby hoping for an easy catch. Vic shares details of the many escort missions the Carron undertook in the Arctic and Atlantic Convoys, and talks about the job of a destroyer and how its crew enables it to operate effectively. He also recalls details about his role as a radar operator, and reflects on the end of his military service in Indonesia. Vic – who became a prolific writer who penned several fascinating ‘first-person accounts’ from sailors aboard other destroyers – shares his story with humour, humility and an eye for detail that brings his memories vividly to life.