At the Care for Veterans home in Worthing a remarkable resident Ron Parker shares memories of his wartime service. The 101-year-old veteran who landed on Normandyʼs shores about 80 years ago‚ recalls his experiences with sharp detail
The trouble was sleeping‚ you couldnt sleep when the guns were going – it shook the ground and half the night it was shaking earth down on our faces
Conscripted in the early-40s‚ Parker joined Royal Engineers despite having a “gammy shoulder“ (which made him Grade-II recruit). His technical skills proved useful in mine-clearing operations and equipment maintenance; his training included hands-on work with booby-traps and mine-fields
After D-Day‚ Parker landed on Sword Beach with the follow-up forces. His duties included:
- Repairing landing craft equipment
- Creating defensive positions
- Supporting arriving troops
- Early-morning patrols against enemy paratroopers
The veteran remembers his time in Belgium with unexpected warmth: “We got deloused with white powder by Canadians; local people let British troops use public baths – that was nice luck“ His post-war life included working at Barclays Bank until retirement; he married Joyce and had a daughter Shirley
Now residing at Care for Veterans facility (established in 1919) Parker stays active: having morning coffee with his friend John in the garden. The home supports ex-service personnel of all ages providing complex clinical care; it recently got £150‚000 from Army Benevolent Fund
His perspective on conflict remains clear and direct: “Wars are a horrible thing – if there were another war it would probably mean atom bombs and that sort of thing“