大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Claire White of 大象传媒 Scotland on behalf of John Johnstone and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I was the driver to Mayor General DAH Graham, Divisional Commander of 50th T-T division, during the Normandy landings. General Graham went ashore on the beaches one morning and wanted his staff car to come ashore that same afternoon.

Every driver had to waterproof their vehicle using sticky tape. All the doors and electrical parts were sealed and all the seats were covered with sandbags. When I drove off the landing craft and the car sunk to halfway up the windscreen I was very scared! I must have waterproofed the vehicle well, though, because the car drove straight onto the beaches at the other side.

I drove the same Divisional Commander at the liberation of Norway in 1945. Major Graham was in charge of the liberation so we were given two cars: a Coupe and a saloon car. The General decided to use the saloon car during the first day in Norway. As we were driving down the main street in Oslo I pressed what I thought was the car horn. An almighty wail burst out that sounded like an ambulance siren! Everyone in the street scattered because they thought it was a Gestapo car coming through. I was told that night in no uncertain terms to get rid of the car.

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