A VETERAN from Banstead who helped Allied tanks to cross the beaches has remembered the momentous D-Day landings.
Roy Ticehurst, now 90 and living at the Royal Alfred Seafarers' Society care home, joined the Royal Navy aged 18 in 1942.
He was based at HMS Royal Arthur in Skegness where he was a gunner and Morse code interpreter.
He also spent time as a naval guard in Sri Lanka, protecting members of the Women's Royal Naval Service (Wrens).
On June 6, 1944, Allied forces began the major offensive against Germany that ultimately led to the liberation of Europe.
During the D-Day landings, Mr Ticehurst was involved in laying ramps to help Allied troops cross the beaches while fighting was going on all around.
He remembers vividly clearing bodies of fallen comrades after the area was badly hit by mines.
Today (Friday) marks 70 years since the largest seaborne invasion in history, which led to an Allied victory in the Second World War.
Between 2,500 and 4,000 Allied troops are thought to have died that day.
On the anniversary of the battle, Mr Ticehurst said: "This anniversary gives us the opportunity to pay our respects to fellow and fallen comrades.
"We celebrate the lives of those who are no longer with us, and come together to support those of us who are.
"I have both good and bad memories from the war, and being able to commemorate 70 years since D-Day is a very special thing."
Since the war, Mr Ticehurst has continued supporting those in the armed forces and retired seafarers.
He has sold poppies for more than 30 years and has attended a number of commemoration events in Trafalgar Square.
Mr Ticehurst moved to the care home, in the grounds of Belvedere House in 2003, where he shares his war time memories with other residents and has lead a number of talks to raise awareness of the war with local school children.
A series of high profile ceremonies including staged landing have been held this week across the country and along the coast of Normandy.
