Gloucestershire veteran celebrated on D-Day
Today marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
Alan McQuillan joined the RAF in 1941 and after his initial training and postings in the UK Alan became part of the RAF Servicing Commando’s 3210 Unit
It was with this unit that Alan took part in the Normandy landings.
Alan McQuillan's unit set off from Gosport on the south coast of England early on the morning of 6th June, 1944. He recalls his memories of the day:
"We had a very early start. We got on a landing craft tank from Gosport and we left there about 11.30am and got into a queue. We were off the French coast at about 4 o'clock on the morning of the 7th June.
"There were all sorts of things going on- the boat in front of us was attacked by a U-boat and a few of the guys were killed.
"I remember the first thing I saw when I got to the beaches were these boots sticking up from the mud- I realised they were British people who had been killed, covered up in blankets, waiting to be taken back to England."
The Royal Air Servicing Commandos were trained to do two jobs. The first was to maintain, repair, refuel and arm operational Allied aircraft during the assault phase of a major landing close to the advancing front line.
The second was to vigorously defend themselves and the aircraft in their charge against enemy attack. The additional training they needed for this included two weeks at the No 1 Combined Training Centre, Inveraray on Loch Fyne in Scotland.
Alan recalls his memories of working with the unit, he said: "The first planes came over on the June 9th, a squadron of Canadian spitfires led by a British squadron leader.
"We gave them more aviation fuel and they went off to fight and then they'd come back for fuel, bombs, and ammunition.
"In the first 10 days the planes flew back to England every night and we had to restock from these field near the beaches for what we wanted for the next day.
"And then all of a sudden in the Normandy breakout- which was the start of August- we were pulled back to England and that was the end of our campaign in Normandy."
Alan McQuillan, amongst others, will be celebrated today as part of the official British commemoration for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. This will take place at the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer, where the King will join French President Emmanuel Macron and Mr Sunak.
The Prince of Wales will attend events in Normandy including a service hosted by Canada at Juno Beach and an international ceremony hosted by France at Omaha Beach which will be attended by more than 25 heads of state.
The Prime Minister will deliver a short speech at Ver-sur-Mer and lead a "heroes' welcome" for the veterans.