John McOwan: ‘We hoodwinked Hitler’

After being stationed in North Africa for much of World War Two, John McOwan was flown back to the south coast of England take part in the D-Day landings.

When he set sail across the English Channel, he admits he had “no idea where we were going”.

John, who is now 102, has since written a book about his experiences during the war.

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.

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: