Our D-Day Navy veterans
Over 7,000 naval vessels crossed the English Channel on D-Day.
Not only did the Navy transport the 150,000 troops to the beaches, but they also offered vital defensive support, targeting enemy aircraft, U-boats and gun batteries along the French coast.
Meet our Navy veterans
Blind veterans Thomas, Joe and Bob all played pivotal roles, despite being teenagers at the time.
Joe's story: Defending the Mulberry harbour
Defending the floating harbour off Omaha beach, Joe witnessed the slaughter of American soldiers.
Bob's story: Shooting down the enemy
As a gunner on merchant ships, Bob's job on D-Day was to protect American soldiers on their way to Normandy.
Thomas' story: Serving on a floating bomb
Thomas sailed on a huge landing barge oiler refuelling boats around the beaches - and saw some terrible sights.
Peggy was a linguist for the Royal Navy
On the night before D-Day, Peggy was on duty alone in the direction-finding tower near Dover. Then just 22, her job was to record intercepted radio messages and take down pages of four-figure code that were sent on to be translated - she was never told where. Her work was so secret that her parents died without knowing about it.
Peggy's diary, 6 June 1944
Peggy kept a diary throughout the war and, although she couldn't write specifically about the work she did, it's a wonderful record of her feelings. This is an extract from D-Day itself. Her hopes for the safety of her future husband were pinned on the invasion.
Hear an extract from Peggy's D-Day diary.
George was a gunner on a torpedo boat
George’s crew escorted troop ships heading for Omaha and Utah beaches. Due to a navigation error the troops were slaughtered as they came in. Having been ordered to stay out at sea to protect against E-boats and R-boats, all George could do was sit and watch. He says today, "There’s still lots of people who think there’s fun in war. There’s no fun in war; no fun in war at all."
Alec defended the boats from U-boat attacks
Alec's ship was sent as cover force and he remembers feeling very sorry for the soldiers kept on board. The weather was so bad they were held for longer than planned and many of them were seasick. When the invasion started, he was listening out for torpedoes, 27 feet beneath the water line, so couldn't see what was going on. However, the bridge telephone was left open so he heard the noise of the guns and planes as the battle raged on.
Fancy a D-Day treat?
How to make a cup of Kye
This recipe is enough for two people.
- Break a small bar of plain dark chocolate into pieces.
- Place pieces in a saucepan with one mug of hot water (boiled from the kettle).
- Heat up until the chocolate has melted.
- Add one tin of condensed milk.
- Bring to the boil and serve in mugs.
Let us know what you think!
Donate now
It's been 80 years since D-Day but our blind veterans are still having to fight for their independence. Sight loss can be desperately isolating for the elderly and without the right equipment and support, our D-Day heroes will be unable to leave their homes.
Please be there for them today.
Read more
Armed Forces Month
Commemorate D-Day 80 and Armed Forces Day in June as you raise vital funds for our blind veterans.
Our D-Day RAF veterans
Syd, Harry and John played crucial roles in the invasion from the air and will never forget their experiences.
Our D-Day Army veterans
Harry, John and Richard were amongst the 150,000 brave soldiers who risked their lives on the beaches of Normandy.
Sign up for email updates
We would love to send you updates about our work and how you can support us.
You can change your contact preferences at any time by calling us on 0300 111 2233 or emailing us. See our privacy policy for more details.