264426 L/Cpl. Robert Burns British Army 6th Airborne Division from:Erdington, Birmingham Dad, Robert Burns served with 6th Airborne Division, these are his war experiences:
In 1943 Dad's eldest brother Bill was captured and died a year later on a Japanese prisoner of war ship.
Dad decided he wanted to fight but was under age at 17 years of age, so he lied about his age.
He joined the Army, the 6th Airborne Division and after 6 months basic training he was sent to Normandy and landed on Gold Beach on 6th of June 1944.
They crossed the Channel by boats towing barges that were towing rafts.
He was on an open raft so was soaked to the skin and cold before they were even halfway across. When the boat had beached in Normandy his raft that was towed by the barge behind the boat was still far from shore.
He was ordered to jump into the sea, hold his rifle above his head and wade to shore. He jumped in and found that the water was above his head. Holding his breath he waded to shore through dead and dying men to find a beach covered in the remains of bodies. He had nightmares for most of the rest of his life about these events.
As they fought through France he lived in fox holes dug at night often under fire. Once he spent a night in a fox hole with tracer fire going over his head only to find that he had inadvertently dug his hole next to a bees nest. He remembered that night well as with tracer rounds being fired over his head and the bees buzzing he was stuck there.
Whilst in Europe he heard that his mother was very unwell and likely to die and so he decided to go home. He was picked up by the military police on a French beach and taken back to his commanding officer. He should have been shot for desertion but his CO was more understanding and demoted him and put him on jankers.
On the day after the end of the war his Colour Sargent was killed by a 14 year old German sniper. Dad killed the sniper before he found out how young the boy was.
As young children in the 1950s, my brother and I were told not to touch dad if he was sleeping as he was not in control of his actions during sudden waking and might hurt us before he knew where he was. He would often scream in his sleep and wake up in a sweat. He was a kind gentleman who loved his family dearly and we would not be here today if not for his efforts and bravery during WW2.
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