Colonel Adrian Rouse: 'I learned Urdu and led 70 Indian troops'

Colonel Adrian Rouse's home was bombed in the early days of World War Two and his two older sisters immediately enlisted.

When we was old enough, Col. Rouse joined the Army too - but he opted to enlist with the Indian Army.

At the age of 20, he led a group of almost 70 soldiers on a four-week voyage to India, where he quickly had to learn Urdu to command his troops.

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.

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Do you or someone you know have memories of World War Two? Please share these experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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