Bert Hardy Picture Post 1st July 1944

 
 
'On D-Day 6th June 1944, Bert Hardy, now a photographer with No.5 AFPU, travelled down to Gosport to record the arrival of the first wounded back from the Normandy invasion beaches. His portrait of the wounded soldier, mug of tea in hand, made the front cover.

In 1994, 50years after D-Day, the man was identified as Private Ron Major of the 2nd battalion East Yorkshire Regiment. He landed on Sword beach in the first wave on D-Day and was wounded in the hand. The LCT he was evacuated on was torpedoed by an E-Boat , fianlly being picked up by a destroyer.

His comment on the photograph 50years on ;
 "Of course I was smiling, I was one of the lucky ones.   I was going home and I was still alive"