My father 84 and still with us) lied about his age and enlisted in the Merchant Navy in 38 during the time of the Spanish Civil War.
He was on a ship called the Euphobia (I tnink) when it was bombed in Barcelona harbour. He told me (with a chuckle) "The bombs were the size of something a little larger than a hand grenade".
At the outbreak of WWII he sailed the Atlantic mainly.
He was at Dunkirk "I was sick of taking them and bringing them back" (the army that is)
He was on the last ship to leave Marseille before it's fall "The Royal Navy scarpered the day before" taking off a French Admiral and has a letter (all tattered and torn) of thanks from him.
He was on the only convoy to sail to Murmansk without an escort (the escorts were needed for the Torch landings), receiving £50 bonus.....I think 13 ships sailed and only 4 or 5 returned.
He was one of the fortunate survivors of Convoy PQ17, he was never on a ship that was sunk, but can vividly remember the tales of merchantmen 'running down' survivors from another stricken merchantmen because the escorts would not allow any ships to stop and pick up survivors.
On D-Day his ship (Empire Galiad I think) dropped anchor half a mile offshore then ran full ahead at the beach during low tide, thus enabling them to pull themselves off at high tide (that was the theory anyway) an hour and a half after the first wave of troops went ashore. His most vivid memories are of Panzer tanks appearing over a hillock a few hundred yards inland, firing a shell then reversing out of sight again. He told me that as soon as the Panzer appeared, dozens of escort vessel and hastily erected shore guns would obliterate either the Panzer or whatever it was using for cover. Either way, if the first salvo didn't do the job, the second one always did.
My fathers pride in what he and his shipmates endured for their country is sadly tainted by the fact that it wasn't until a few years ago that his government eventually recognised their bravery by awarding them a small, cheap lapel badge.
This was only brought about after a sustained press campaign which highlighted (amongst other things) the fact that 20 years earlier, the Russian Ambassador in London visited Newcastle and awarded them specially minted medals for their endeavours on the unescorted Russian Convoy.
His worst D-Day memory was watching a direct hit on a ship (he's not sure from what) and the dozens of nurses that were onboard jumping overboard wearing lifejackets only to be straffed "Butchery" he called it.
We should all feel justly proud of what our loved ones did during this terrible period in our worlds history.
Lest We Forget.