Perthshire veteran Reg McDonnell, one of the youngest servicemen to take part in D-Day, recalls Gold Beach and liberating Bergen-Belsen.

Brave Pitlochry man, 91, recalls a day that went down in history

As the cold water of the English Channel lapped at his chest, a soldier near to Reg McDonnell stumbled and began to drown under the weight of his equipment.

After fighting to right his comrade they and hundreds of others continued to march towards a French beach where the German Army was waiting.

Still in his teens, Reg faced machine gun fire and saw another friend blown up by a mine before he had even made it across the sand at Gold beach.

Reg, who signed up to the Royal Engineers in 1941 when he was just 16, later helped care for inmates following the liberation of the notorious Belsen concentration camp.

It is thought he is one of the youngest servicemen to take part in the D-Day landings, which took place 73 years ago yesterday.

Now 91 and living in Pitlochry, he said he signed up after being given white feathers – a sign of cowardice – and was soon being trained to build temporary portable harbours before the landings.

He said: “The landings were initially cancelled – the waves coming in from the Atlantic made it too choppy. We were already on the tank landing craft. It caused a lot of bother, everyone had to get off again.

“The next day, the sergeant was sorting us all out. I was a big lad and there was a lad – wee Geordie McClellan, a soldier from Northumberland – and I was told to keep an eye on him.

“The water was up to my chest and we were carrying so much stuff. I knew I’d be all right but Geordie tripped and went over. He had so much equipment his feet came up – we had to get him the right way up.”

Mr McDonnell became tearful as he recalled the moment he saw another soldier die.

“Paddy Pluck – a lot of the Irishmen used false names – he trod on a mine and went up with it,” he said. “He was just 200 yards in front of me. He was the only one in our section who died during the actual landing.

“We got up the beach and through a place called Rivabella, a seaside town, while being fired on. We made it through to Ouistreham and took cover at the side of the lighthouse there – there was German artillery all along the shore.

“We dug in and waited for orders or for them to react. We were there about six weeks before moving to a place called Caen, and we did the same as we were always did – dug in and waited.”

The water was up to my chest and we were carrying so much stuff. I knew I’d be all right but Geordie tripped and went over

Reg McDonnell with his daughter Janet Washington. Below: As a young serviceman 73 years ago