'D-Day was my first ever day at sea'

William Wake was 18 when he took part in the D-Day landings

A World War Two veteran says he was "prepared to die" while taking part in the D-Day landings.

William Wake, 98, from Morpeth, Northumberland was an 18-year-old medical orderly when the largest seaborne invasion in history took place on 6 June 1944 - his first ever day at sea.

He had just finished training and was stationed on the south coast when he was told he would be leaving on an LST tank landing ship.

Mr Wake said once the tanks rolled off, he helped collect the wounded.

Ahead of attending a commemorative event in Amble, Northumberland, on Saturday, Mr Wake remembered the sights that greeted him 80 years ago.

"We had to get in and get the tanks which we had and drop the ramp so they could run off on to the beach," he recalled.

"The Messerschmitts were coming down on us and once we got rid of the tanks we made a quick renovation of the ship to change it into a hospital.

"There were definitely wounded on the beach. We saw the lads that were there, we saw them trying to get their pals into shelter."

William Wake served as a sickbed attendant, taking the wounded to safety

Mr Wake remembers listening to King George VI addressing the nation as he worked to support his comrades.

"We had about 300 wounded people on board the boat and we did the essential treatment to make them as comfortable as we could, just hoping to get them into hospital as quickly as possible," he said.

"They were on stretchers. One lad stretched out his hand and said 'thank you' and I still remember that to this day."

Tanks were unloaded on to the beaches, then the ships were converted to transport the wounded

Mr Wake was on an LST which took Canadian tanks ashore at Juno beach.

His ship continued to make crossings between France and England, more than 20 in total, during the next few weeks.

William Wake's family say they are all very proud of him

"We all know how lucky we were to survive," he said.

"I never regret that I joined the Royal Navy, I never regret that it was in wartime.

"I didn't go to damage people, I went to assist them, to try and help people who had been bashed around.

"Mankind always seems to be fighting and disagreeing with each other.

"Whether that will ever be solved, I just don't know."

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