大象传媒

SAILS INTO HISTORY

MEMORIES OF D DAY JUNE 6TH 1944

At the age of twelve, during the Spanish Civil War, I was evacuated along with
Four thousand more children to England to escape the brutality of war. Little did I realise what adventures lay ahead of me. We were distributed all over the country; a hundred of us were sent to Brampton in Cumbria. The Spanish Children鈥檚 Committee in London was responsible for all of us.
At the age of sixteen, with other Spanish boys, we were found work and accommodation in Coventry. As time went by I felt I wanted to do more towards the war.

I joined the Royal Navy and after finishing my training I did a course as a Radar Operator. I was transferred to Coastal Forces which consists of motor gun boats, motor torpedo boats and motor launches. My first boat was the M.L. 147 which happened to be the leader of the Flotilla. Our mission was to patrol the South of Ireland looking for U-Boats as they used to lie in wait for the convoys from America.

As time went by we realised something different was happening in the south, due to the amount of shipping and accumulation of armed forces. We were reassured when we were sent to the Normandy Coast to lay submerged buoys with sonar to mark the channel so that minesweepers could clear the area ready for the landings.

On June 6th, at dawn, we went in on the first wave, escorting the Canadians onto 鈥楯UNO鈥� Beach. Their Commander travelled with us. I was responsible for constantly giving him exact distances from our boat to the beach so that he could give orders to his men to fire ahead of the beaches with their tanks before landing.

Ten days after D Day, King George VI arrived in Normandy aboard HMS ARETHUSA. We had orders to escort him and his officers as near as possible to the beach, where an amphibious vehicle was to take them the remaining journey to where General Montgomery and his guards were waiting.

It was difficult for us, being on a small boat, what with the lack of sleep and rough weather. We were in Normandy for five months on active service. Sadly, many lives were lost though we did achieve the well planned and long awaited victory.

At last, war came to an end, and finally, we had orders to gather the U-Boats from the North Sea into the harbour at Stranraer.

I鈥檓 proud to have served in the Royal Navy, even more to find that I was the only Spaniard to do so in World War Two.

On June 6th this year I was able to return to JUNO Beach for the 60th Anniversary of D Day. I would have loved to have marched at Arromanche with the other Veterans, but due to strict security this was impossible, although I was pleased to have visited other beaches and cemeteries.

We were given a warm welcome by the people of Normandy and it made me think of comrades past and present. In fact it was all very emotional.

鈥淭hey shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.鈥�

'This story was submitted to the People's War site by Rod Aldwinckle of the CSV Action Desk on behalf of Alfredo Ruez and has been added to the site with his / permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions

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