World War Two: We were there

Veterans tell their stories for future generations.

D-Day: ‘I often wonder why I lived while others died’

On the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, surviving veterans share their memories.

Eighty years since D-Day

D-Day 80: We Were There. Video, 58 minutes
Eighty years on, Rachel Burden hears the stories and memories of the UK's D-Day veterans.
Attribution
BBC Two
Available for 4 months
John McOwan: ‘We hoodwinked Hitler’ Video, 00:03:29
Posted
23 May 2024
George Spencer: 'I had the best view of the landings' Video, 00:02:32
Posted
31 May 2024
'This was going to be the beginning of the end of the war' Video, 00:02:52
Posted
31 May 2024
Ken Cooke: 'I'd never been on a boat before' Video, 00:03:03
Posted
21 May 2024
Joe Cattini: I saw teen soldiers crying for their mothers. Video, 00:03:13
Attribution
UK
Posted
4 June 2024
Bill Gladden: 'I made a rather unorthodox landing in Normandy' Video, 00:03:27
Attribution
Suffolk
Posted
26 April 2024

Do you or someone you know have a story to share?
Attribution
UK
Posted
10 November 2022
Biden says fight for Ukraine echoes struggle for freedom on D-Day
Attribution
World
Posted
27 June 2024

Veterans' stories

'I did things in the war I still can't talk about' Video, 00:04:13
John Shannon was a school teacher before joining the Navy and being sent on secret missions.
Attribution
UK
Posted
1 July 2023
'The tannoy announced that the German war had ended' Video, 00:03:27
Attribution
UK
Posted
10 November 2023
'When we got over the target all hell broke loose' Video, 00:03:27
Attribution
UK
Posted
10 November 2023
'I'm no ruddy hero' Video, 00:02:58
Attribution
UK
Posted
10 November 2023
'You had to be courageous in resistance' Video, 00:02:28
Attribution
UK
Posted
12 July 2023

D-Day

10 things you might not know about D-Day
Attribution
UK
Posted
5 June 2019
Was this the most crucial forecast in history?
Attribution
Weather
Posted
5 June 2024
What were the D-Day landings?
Attribution
World
Posted
6 June 2024

Women at war

Mary Davidson-Smith: 'Wartime resilience was amazing' Video, 00:05:03
From devastating bombing raids to the jubilant scenes of VE Day, Mary Davidson-Smith recalls her memories of World War Two.
Posted
15 hours ago
'We had to confuse the German bombers' Video, 00:02:48
Attribution
UK
Posted
10 November 2023
Gwen Piper: 'Within six months I was in uniform' Video, 00:02:13
Attribution
UK
Posted
10 November 2023
Olive Mitton: I delivered the mail at Bletchley Park. Video, 00:01:43
Attribution
UK
Posted
14 June 2023
Minnie Bailey: I'd never had new clothes before I joined the Air Force. Video, 00:02:41
Attribution
UK
Posted
14 June 2023
Elsie Ellis: I was blown off my bike by bomb blast. Video, 00:02:09
Attribution
UK
Posted
8 February 2023
Marjorie Lamb: We made our own Navy uniforms. Video, 00:02:40
Attribution
UK
Posted
13 December 2022

Answering the call from Empire

Neil Flanigan: 'People from the Empire and Commonwealth died' Video, 00:03:08
Attribution
UK
Posted
9 November 2022
Muhammad Hussain: I ran away from home to enlist at 16. Video, 00:01:33
Attribution
UK
Posted
6 December 2022
Jake Jacob: 'You were treated as a nonentity' Video, 00:03:11
Attribution
UK
Posted
11 November 2022

The Royal Navy

'I had the best view ever of the landings in Normandy' Video, 00:02:32
Posted
31 May 2024
Christopher Cartledge: I took part in an attack on the Tirpitz. Video, 00:03:09
Attribution
UK
Posted
14 June 2023
John Dennett: 'I'm lucky I've had 70 years of freedom' Video, 00:03:10
Attribution
UK
Posted
10 November 2022
George Notley: 'We boys didn't know what was ahead' Video, 00:02:26
Attribution
UK
Posted
10 November 2022
Christian Lamb: 'You had no idea what was going to happen' Video, 00:02:59
Attribution
UK
Posted
10 November 2022

The Army

'The German army blew up a cup of tea next to me' Video, 00:03:59
Attribution
Europe
Posted
3 June 2024
Peter Davies: I was thrown out of a glider cockpit. Video, 00:03:01
Attribution
UK
Posted
29 March 2023
Mervyn Kersh: Concentration camp survivors' 'arms were just bone' Video, 00:02:52
Attribution
UK
Posted
9 November 2022
Gordon Prime: 'Luck of draw I survived D-Day as dispatch rider' Video, 00:03:03
Attribution
UK
Posted
9 November 2022
Robin Rowland: 'I can remember to this day Urdu I learned in Army' Video, 00:03:09
Attribution
UK
Posted
10 November 2022

The Royal Air Force

'There was two of you - one of you was going to be dead at the end' Video, 00:02:39
Attribution
UK
Posted
31 May 2024
'I'm no ruddy hero' Video, 00:02:58
Attribution
UK
Posted
10 November 2023
'When we got over the target all hell broke loose' Video, 00:03:27
Attribution
UK
Posted
10 November 2023
Minnie Bailey: I'd never had new clothes before I joined the Air Force. Video, 00:02:41
Attribution
UK
Posted
14 June 2023
Douglas Petty: You knew you were bombing civilians. Video, 00:02:58
Attribution
UK
Posted
14 November 2022

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