Remembrance: Northumberland veteran recalls D-Day

A World War Two veteran has recalled taking part in the D-Day landings as "just doing his duty".

William Wake, 97, from Ulgham, Northumberland was an 18-year-old medical orderly when he arrived in Arromanches, Normandy, in June 1944.

He had just finished training and was stationed on the south coast before he was told he would be leaving on a tank landing ship (known as an LST).

Mr Wake said after the tanks rolled off, he helped collect the wounded.

"We had to get in and get the tanks which we had and drop the ramp so they could run off onto the beach," he recalled.

"The Messerschmitts (German aircraft) were coming down on us, we had two Oerlikons (guns) on each LST which were provided by the Americans.

"The Americans, on their craft, had about six Oerlikons, but we only had two.

"Once we got rid of the tanks we made a quick renovation of the ship to change it into a hospital in order to get the wounded lads back.

"There were definitely wounded on the beach. We saw the lads that were there, we saw them trying to get their pals into shelter. They had get so far back so the tide wouldn't overtake them."

Mr Wake said he could remember listening to King George VI addressing the nation that night.

"We had about 300 wounded people on board the boat and we made them as comfortable as we possibly could, trying to keep the area clean and trying to stop any bleeding and hoping to get back to the UK with them as soon as we possibly could.

"I remember they were on stretchers. This was a Tuesday and we didn't get back to the UK until the Friday. Unfortunately we lost some fine lads. They gave their lives for their country.

"We all know how lucky we were to survive.

"We did what was required of us. I wouldn't like not to have done it because after all it was your country you were working for.

"Just to think about it - just to think I did my duty. We all we did our duty."

Ahead of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in 2025, the BBC is trying to gather as many first-hand accounts from surviving veterans as possible, to preserve them for future generations.

Working with a number of partners, including the Normandy Memorial Trust and the Royal British Legion, the BBC has already spoken to many men and women who served during the war - you can watch their testimonies here.

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