D-Day veteran recalls Omaha Beach 'slaughterhouse'

Joe Turpin's portrait will be appearing on digital screens to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Operation Overlord

A D-Day veteran has said he will "never forget" the bloody attack on Omaha Beach on 6 June 1944 that led to 1,700 American lives being lost.

Joe Turpin, now 98, served on the ship HMS Ryde which was sent to protect the Mulberry harbour just off the beach in Normandy.

He was 19 at the time when he awoke early and went on deck and was "absolutely gobsmacked" to see "ships of all description".

Mr Turpin, from Blackpool, said he asked, "What’s going on? What’s all this lot?" and the reply of "invasion" "sent the fear of God" up his spine.

'Waste of life'

He said: “Out of the five [landing beaches], four of them were pretty successful getting ashore, but the fifth one, Omaha... it was a slaughterhouse.

“We couldn't do a thing for them, those poor devils from America. You know, in the American anthem, the words are ‘home of the brave'… Those men were the bravest of the brave, he said.

"When they landed off the ship, they got in the landing craft and went ashore with just a rifle, against a machine gun nest.

“I’ll never forget it. What a waste of life. That’s war.”

Mr Turpin is starring in a campaign for Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-service men and women.

Joe Turpin served on the ship HMS Ryde sent to protect the Mulberry harbour just off Omaha beach

He will be appearing on large digital screens in central London and Portsmouth until 6 June to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Operation Overlord.

The campaign features the portrait photographs of 14 veterans who served in Normandy and now receive the charity’s support.

A US Ranger visits a memorial in Omaha Beach

The charity's chief executive officer, Adrian Bell, said: “When talking to our veterans about their experience of D-Day, many often dismiss or trivialise as unimportant the part they played.

“However, when we take a step back and consider the scale and ultimate success of the operation, it could not have succeeded without such commitment from so many people playing their part.

“We salute them all."