Richard Aldred: ‘I buried two of my mates’

Richard Aldred was sent to France in July 1944 as a Cromwell tank driver.

He arrived a few weeks after the main invasion and recalled that Normandy “smelt like death”.

"I soon got used to it and the smell of death and animals being wounded was bloody awful”, he said.

We Were There 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 Royal British Legion. Some of the stories collected may be shared with our partners and used on BBC News platforms.

If you have a story to share, or know someone who does, please click here to tell us a little bit more or use one of the methods below.

Do you or someone you know have memories of World War Two?

Please share these experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk, external.

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