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We sailed from Southampton on a LSI (Landing Ship Infantry)
and after a few hours on board we had [crossed out] a [end crossed out] messages read to us by
our officers and written by the Commander of 50 Northumbrian
Division and General Eisenhower.

On the morning of the 6 June we were directed by the
Tannoy to proceed on deck and we then were loaded into the LCAs.
The coxwains were Royal Marine Sgts. Lest I forget , we all
had a good drink of Navy Rum before we embarked. The LCAs set
off and we seemed to cruise around for hours while the flotilla
formed up. We could see the cruisers and destroyers shelling
the targets ashore while planes flew over our heads towards
occupied France. It was a wonderful sight.

What with the choppiness of the sea and the rum I had
drunk it was not long before I was violently sick and I thought
to myself "I will be b..... glad to get ashore". We approached
the shore between shell bursts and we could see the shells and
mines stuck on top of poles to prevent us landing. Our coxwain
deftly steered his craft between the mines and landed us dry
foot on the beach. We were lucky as after I heard of chaps
being landed in 6 ft of water.

Due to the instructions we had received in the camp when
we were briefed before sailing we knew that we should turn left
along the beach until we got to the gap in the minefield and
then proceed up the road. This we did. The gap was wreathed
in smoke from a nearby fire and we went through leaving the
beach with its floating dead bodies, knocked out tanks and LCAs.
Shelling was still going on from inland somewhere. Again, in
our briefing we were told that we would proceed up the road,
past a knocked out gun site and by a big crater in the road.
Lo and behold , all these things came to pass, except that some
tank commander had seen fit to put a small bridge across the
crater. The gun site was a bit of a shambles and we could see
that the guns had been "mucked about a bit", although whether
by the RAF or the Navy I dont know.

We passed through a village and an old man came out and
offered me a drink of cognac. I refused it as I had some
doubts as to whether the drink would be poisoned. Further on
we came to a big house and a young girl and boy about eighteen
spoke to me in perfect English "Thank you. You are our
Liberators".

We came to some cornfields and walked through the golden
corn. We saw a small group of dead Germans who had been
manning a Spandeau. Soon we got back on the road and walked
through another village. The children were outside and the
soldiers were handing over their sweets and chocolate to them.
Away at the other end of the village the infantry were house
to house fighting and the splash of mortars and the rattle of
Bren and Spandeau filled the summer air. We stopped half way
through the village and brewed up some tea and eat an oatmeal
block. As RE our services were not yet required.

We pressed on to a field where we made camp although there
were snipers around. Soon my mate (an ex Coldstream Guards-
man) said he had been sniped at and swore that there were
snipers in the Church tower. He raised his Bren and gave the
tower a burst. Another chap got behind his PIAT and fired
a mortar at the tower. A little later a tank arrived on the
scene and on being informed of the trouble the gunner sighted
his 17 pounder on the church tower and fired. I myself did
not investigate but I was told later by people who went into
the tower that there was no sign of any sniper. But there
were snipers in the woods just outside Crepon which was the
name of the village. On the following day we were called
upon to report further up the road. This road ran alongside
the wood where the snipers were although we did not know at the
time.