- Contributed by听
- CSV Media NI
- People in story:听
- Richard Keegan, Mr Green
- Location of story:听
- Sword beach, Normandy, France
- Background to story:听
- Army
- Article ID:听
- A8680214
- Contributed on:听
- 20 January 2006
This story is taken from an interview with Richard Keegan, and has been added to the site with their permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions. The interview was by Walter Love, and transcription was by Bruce Logan.
====
[I enlisted aged] 17. It was [underage]. Quite a lot [of young men did that].
The Recruiting Sgt in Belfast came from Lurgan, and whenever I took my Oath of Allegience and got my King鈥檚 Shilling, and I was coming out he says 鈥測ou鈥檙e not 18!鈥
[But you were allowed to stay, and landed at Sword beach]
On D-day, yes.
The crossing itself was a bit on the rough side. Whenever we got off the LCI the tide was a severe swell on it. We must have landed 30 yds from sand, and we had to walk through that water. Carrying our bikes. Whenever we got onto the beach it was like walking through sludge. It was very rough. And the shellfire coming from the Germans and coming from our own battleships, was whistling over our heads.
Funny thing was, no such thing as fear or panic. We had a job to do. We were trained in teamwork, and the teamwork was the thing that counted. We had very few casualties on the beach itself.
The orchard and they had a Head count to see what losses were, seemingly it was alright.
I still see the Sand table and the picture of the Beach we were landing on. We had no idea where we were heading. Mr Green, my platoon officer, said we were going on 鈥渢he Big Ski鈥.
[It was the start of the end of the war]
By the end of the first day we had a fair beachhead. We were 7 miles in.
漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.
Recommended story
Story with photo