D-Day 80: 'We worked from morning to night'
Richard Thomas Pelzer, 100, from Swansea was a Royal Engineer in the Army.
Unlike those who moved inland after the invasion, he remained on the beaches to establish the harbours that facilitated the landing of hundreds of thousands of troops and tonnes of equipment.
"While we were working we could see the Spitfires flying over – then the fireworks would start," said Richard, who was conscripted on his 19th birthday.
We Were There aims to collect as many first-hand accounts as possible by 2025, the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, to preserve veterans' accounts for future generations.
The BBC is currently working on the project with a number of partners including the Normandy Memorial Trust and Royal British Legion. Some of the stories collected may be shared with our partners and used on BBC News platforms.
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