Bill, from Kidderminster, was just 18 years old when he joined the Merchant Navy, and from there he was seconded to Royal Navy to carry out vital tasks under enemy fire.
Bill was part of Pluto (Pipe Line Under The Ocean), designed to allow petrol to be pumped from the UK to France to fuel the invasion and the subsequent advance across Europe.
Coming under attack from land and air, on June 6, 1944, Bill and his colleagues were alongside one of the first wave of troops onto the shores of Gold Beach – one of five Normandy beaches chosen for the D-Day Landing – the four others were code named Sword, Juno, Utah and Omaha, preparing beach installations to be connected to the undersea pipe.
The landing itself was perilous, not least due to the weather, with high winds and choppy waters making landing difficult.
Working unarmed under enemy fire on the Pluto undersea pipeline, Bill was able to help a wounded colleague to safety – and it was for this selfless act of personal courage, that later Bill was mentioned in the Dispatches for Bravery and good conduct.
Bill said: “There were a lot of shells and dive-bombers and I wasn’t allowed to carry a gun as I was from the Merchant Navy, although I had to wear a Royal Navy uniform.
“However, I was too busy getting on with the job at hand to be scared.
"I just remember tremendous noise, as well as hundreds of planes, and the smell of cordite.”
Pluto was a vital lifeline, which ensured that once the Allies had established a beachhead in Normandy, they had the fuel to push forward and were able to continue with the liberation of France and the countries under Nazi occupation.
Less than a year later, with Bill sailing back to Britain, news started to filter through that maybe, just maybe, the war was coming to an end.
Bill said: “We sailed back to Folkestone on May 7, 1945 and got back into the harbour late so stayed aboard the ship.
"Next morning, May 8, as I went on deck, there was a buzz of excitement.
“There were a group of men on the quay talking excitedly and looking at a newspaper – there was no instant news channels or bulletins in those days!
“I shouted to the men ‘what’s happening?’ They replied saying the war was over in Europe and the Germans had surrendered.
"Then, looking around, you could see people shouting and talking to one another and the excitement and buzz was unbelievable.
“After five years of tension, there was such relief for all.
“The next two days were spent celebrating on land, eating, drinking, singing and dancing.
"We felt a great lift and, although our war wasn’t over at the point, we enjoyed the flow of music and joy, as well as the enjoying the drink.”
But Bill’s war wasn’t quite over, he was involved in the campaign in the Far East to defeat the Japanese.
Bill was posted to New Zealand, Australia and on a cruiser on the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt. He was eventually demobbed in November 1947.
Bill now lives in Kidderminster with wife Sylvia.
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