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Article: published on 3 June 2024

Media caption,

Charles Horne: ‘I was scared but you just had to go with it’

'We got fairly close in before the Germans realised what was happening'

  • Published

Charles Horne was on-board one of the first allied vessels to head towards Normandy on the morning of D-Day.

The 18-year-old trawlerman, from Port Seton in East Lothian, was working on the MMS Motor Minesweeper 291.

British minesweepers were sent ahead of American troops so they could land on Omaha Beach- one of the five beaches chosen for the Normandy landings.

He went on clearing mines for two years after Victory over Japan Day - or VJ Day.

After the war, Mr Horne returned to his job as a fisherman.

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 91Èȱ¬ 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 91Èȱ¬ 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.

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