A ‘waste of life’ but one of the most important invasions in history

D-Day was a“waste of life” which left bodies littered on the beaches of Normandy, but was one of the most important invasions in history, a veteran of the campaign has said.

In an effort to free Europe from the clutches of the Nazis, some 156,000 British, American and Canadian troops launched from the sea and air on to French soil.

Known as one of the most successful military operations in history, around 4,400 troops paid the ultimate price during the vast undertaking of D-day in 1944.

Don Sheppard arrived on Juno beach at around 4:30pm on 6 June in a landing ship tank, with his scout car that was attached with a Bren gun plunging into water as it entered a deep rut.

As he looked back on the D-Day landings almost 75 years later, the 99- year-old Royal Engineers sapper, said: “I think it was a waste of life.

“I know we had to defend ourselves ... but young guys like me 20, 21, who never lasted five minutes, some of them got killed before they got off the boat. Tragic, absolutely.”

But he added: “D -Day was one of the most important invasions, if you would like to call it that, of history-that is why it is so important. In my opinion anyway.”

Describing the stretch of sand before him, he said the beach was “littered with dead Canadians” who had landed ahead of his brigade, adding that the experience “was horrible”.

By the time he arrived at Ju no, Mr Sheppard, a dispatch rider, said that the German shells “were coming over like rain”.