World War Two: 'I had the best view of the D-Day landings'

"I had the best view ever, I think, of the landings in Normandy."

George Spencer, who was born in Nottinghamshire, was 18 years old when he stood at the top of the mast on HMS Nelson in June 1944.

Now aged 96 and retired in Gracehill, County Antrim, he has been retelling his memories of World War Two.

"I had this huge pair of binoculars which were Japanese, lenses like plates," he said.

"I found it very difficult not to keep looking to see what was going on instead of covering my position of checking aircraft."

Mr Spencer worked in the air defence position on the battleship HMS Nelson which was initially held in reserve during the D-Day landings.

George Spencer said he felt excited rather than frightened by the Normandy landings

"They wouldn't put the Nelson in there too early," he said. "Eventually they put her in to, I think it was, Sword beach."

However, the detection of a heavy German gun which was in range of the ship caused them to head towards American positions.

"I don't think I was frightened really. I was very young. It was all very exciting.

"I just got on and did what I was asked to do."

Mr Spencer began his military career in 1938 when he was aged just 12.

"I saw this noticeboard in my school. I didn't fancy going down the mines or hosiery factories so I asked to apply for this scholarship to the trainee ship Mercury, which was run by this quite famous character CB Fry.

"It was actually run more by his wife Beatrice Fry."

George recalls watching VE Day parades in Sydney

Mr Spencer also served on HMS Nelson in the Mediterranean.

The battleship was one of the fleet supporting the landings in North Africa in November 1942 and at the invasion of Sicily in Italy in July 1943.

He described the moment its 16-inch guns were fired.

"The big guns had fired with a great roar and you could actually see the projectile going out," he recalled.

When the war ended Mr Spencer was in Sydney, Australia, watching parades for VE Day.

"It was lovely, the sunshine, the fresh fruit. I was having a whale of a time," he said.

"I used to blow a bugle there. I always remember it because it echoed beautifully all around Sydney Harbour and I used to make the most of it."

Mr Spencer's account has been gathered as part of a project by the BBC called We Were There.

It aims to collect as many first-hand accounts as possible by 2025, the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, to preserve veterans' accounts for future generations.

The BBC is currently working on the project with a number of partners including the Normandy Memorial Trust and the Royal British Legion.