University history department wants to hear D-Day memories

HISTORIANS are calling on residents to share their D-Day memories for a new oral history project.

The initiative is being led by the University of Chichester, as well as the West Sussex Record Office and Tangmere Military Aviation Museum.

Chichester and the surrounding area played an important role in D-Day – troops, aircraft and supplies all moved through to be part of the largest amphibious assault in history.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Dr Andrew Smith from the university said: ‘The 75th anniversary of D-Day is the ideal opportunity to capture personal memories of the event from those it touched at the time, before those stories disappear for good.

‘Perhaps you remember being a child and seeing troops and changes in your city before the run-up to D-Day? Did you know the military personnel stationed at Bishop Otter College, now the university, or were you involved with the Ccollege itself?

‘Do you have interesting photos, documents or objects relating to the period? Or did you purchase any of the collections from Shoreham D-Day Aviation Museum when it closed? If you can answer yes to any of these questions, it would be great if you could take part in our oral history project.’

The oral history interviews will be part of a series of local events to mark D-Day in and around Chichester, including a programme of scheduled public talks which will be announced nearer the time.

To take part in the project contact Dr Smith on 01243 816499 or at [email protected] All photographs and documents will be returned.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.