Photograph of LST crossing the Channel to Normandy June 1944, courtesy of 
Ralph Jackson was born and raised in a small village near Durham. Born in 1924, he left school at 14 and worked as a Grocer’s delivery boy in the years before outbreak of war.
"I was that boy you see in old books and films – riding a big bicycle with a huge wire basket just in front of the handlebars. Home delivery was common practice in those days and there was an army of teenage boys kept busy. As time went on I worked more in the shop but of course we all knew what was coming next and we were ready to do our bit."
At the age of 18 Ralph was called up and passed his army medical A1. He formally enlisted for five years service in November 1942 and was sent to Dale Camp in Chester where he underwent 6 months basic infantry training. At the end of that year Ralph was posted to the 7th Battalion of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers and moved to Shorncliffe Camp in Folkestone.
Through 1943 there was more training as Classified Scale D Class 1 Driver and particularly as Vickers Heavy Machine Gunner. Training continued throughout the year and went on to include ‘driver mechanics’ and ‘water duties course’. On 11th May 1944 Ralph was given his first home leave. As soon as he returned to base, the Battalion was transferred to Tilbury in preparation for embarkation en route to Normandy.
"We were at Wanstead Flats, living in tents within a secure wired area. We spent 2-3 weeks there before boarding on 17th June.
At Tilbury Docks we went aboard an LST (Landing Ship - Tanks) along with plenty of other troops, including Canadians. I was driving a Bren Carrier and was just about the last to board. This worried me a bit at the time; I kept thinking – ‘last on first off!’
The Bren Carrier was a tracked vehicle of about 4 tons. We had a crew of three, with me as the driver. There was a Vickers Heavy Machine gun built in at the front, and a Bren gun mounted on the open rail.
Driving wasn’t easy as there was only a small viewing opening at the front.
Although we were supposed to set off immediately, there was bad weather in the Channel and we just waited off the Kent coast for about 6 days...
