大象传媒

I am a former member of what is now the Parachute Regiment. (at the time, the 6th airborne brigade) and have written this with the help of my granddaughter.

My story begins on the night of June 5, 1944. Myself and the members of my platoon climbed aboard our transport plane and, many took their last glimpse of England. It seemed like an eternity. We had been tossed about in a confined space for hours, waiting for the light to turn from red to green. ack ack guns opened up from below. after a while all we could hear was the quiet drone of the planes around us, and we knew we was getting deeper and deeper into Nazi territory. The light turned green and I was second out the plane.

My jump went well, my chute opened all as it should.(which was just as well, as unlike the US soldiers, we did not have reserves!) after we hit the ground we had to find our chums, as the strong wind and blown us further apart than we had expected. Many of us ended up working with men we had never met before, from other companys. I remember my arms shaking, not only from the excitement of jumping, but from the cold, and the fear.

I was equipped with the Lee Enfield Rifle, A revolver and some mills grenades. our objective was to capture the German coastal battety at merville at all costs.

It didn't take us too long to rach our objective. We fixed our bayonets and the battle ensued. I remember lying on a small rise overlooking the battery, providing covering fire whist the boys with the stens ran forward to it. After the majority of germans were dead or dying, we charged forward, bayonetting and shooting the remaining troops. We won the battle, but I find it hard to remember the small details of the battle. I remember throwing grenades at the bunker, but the rest is really a blur. I suppose it was the fear and the adrenaline.

By morning we recieved word that the seaborne invasion had begun.

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