Gosport born Vic Blake recounts his memories of D-Day, fighting in the 43rd Reconnaissance regiment of the Wessex Division. For most of his time, he drove and maintained a light wrecking Daimler vehicle across patrols of Normandy. Through eerie nights and countless close shave encounters with German soldiers, Vic considers himself a lucky man as a part of the B squadron who made it onto French shores. Sadly, his other comrades from A and C squadrons were not so lucky and Vic shares the story of how they lost 188 men after tragically hitting a sea mine off the coast of Juno beach.
Sadly, Vic’s luck ran out and he didn’t make it home unscathed. He recalls waking up in a stretcher surrounded by other injured soldiers after being injured from getting too close to a mortar. In his civilian life, he lived as if he was never in the war, however now in his older age, the memories have returned; one of those being when a German soldier surrender himself to his team and, with no animosity, they offered him tea and a cigarette.
This interview truly shows the bravery and understanding nature of Vic Blake.