Ken Cooke: 'I'd never been on a boat before'

Ken Cooke was sent to fight in Normandy when he was just 18.

He had never been on a boat before travelling across the English Channel to join more than 150,000 troops in the largest amphibious invasion in military history.

Ken didn't speak about his experiences for 30 years, but now tells schoolchildren about his story to ensure "nothing like this happens again".

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.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

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