ADVANCE WARNING
I landed on Gold Beach at 6.30pm on D-Day – the youngest RAF sergeant to land in Normandy. I can still vividly remember seeing dead bodies scattered all over the beach as I came ashore, and that is a sight that will stay with me for ever.
By May, 1945, I was stationed in Schneverdingen in Germany – where I got advance warning that VE Day was coming.
I got a telex to let me know that the war was ending and that the German surrender was imminent. I still feel very privileged. I remember VE Day very well, the drinks just appeared from nowhere and we lit a bonfire, and had a massive party. It’s so important that we make the most of these opportunities to remember what happened – not just to celebrate the achievement but also to ensure that such horrors never happen again.
INSIGHT Bernard in the RAF and telex he received. Left, 96-year-old at war graves