- Contributed byÌý
- A7431347
- People in story:Ìý
- William Smith
- Location of story:Ìý
- Occupied Europe
- Article ID:Ìý
- A4581687
- Contributed on:Ìý
- 28 July 2005
90 year old William Smith sat quietly in the British legion tent and told me his remarkable story.
During the war he was a Para a member of the 6th Airborne Division, part of the main drop on D Day in 1944. Within seconds of landing in an orchard he heard, in German, ‘hands up’, seconds after that his would be captor was dead, shot by a comrade. They later took part in fierce fighting at Amperville where they lost eighty men to friendly fire.
Back to the UK then to the Ardennes, the Battle of the Bulge, where they played a significant part in stopping the German counter-offensive. He also fought at Hamlin(pied piper fame) and subsequently took part in the advance up to Weismar in the Baltic area.
William became a member of the territorial Army for five years after the war but could not bring himself to join the British Legion because he found it too distressing to talk with others about his experiences.
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