Welsh D-Day veteran remembers beach landing with 'air humming with bullets'
This statement stunned me. There is a video of Mr. Symonds at the link.
''I accepted there was not much chance of my surviving and when you come to that sort of acceptance you become quite calm.''
Idwal Symonds from Caernarfon was part of the Royal Marine Commandos who landed on Juno Beach on D-Day, 75 years ago.
At 95, he still remembers the day, and those leading up to it, clearly.
''The scale of the operation came home to me on the day before D-Day'' Idwal said.
''When I got up in the morning and looked out the Solent and the Spithead running up into Southampton and Portsmouth was packed with boats, packed.''
When Idwal and his comrades landed on the beach, they immediately came across an unscalable concrete wall. Left with no other option, the company had to go around the obstacle in the face of intense gunfire. He was only 19.
''The air was humming with bullets'' Idwal said.
Despite the danger, Idwal says he wasn't afraid but focused on achieving his mission.
''I wasn't worried about my life.''
''I accepted there was not much chance of my surviving and when you come to that sort of acceptance you become quite calm.''
https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2019-06-06/welsh-d-day-veteran-remembers-beach-landing-with-air-humming-with-bullets/