Leonard S Wilsher

Service Number: DJX213588
DOB: 31 May 1920

Leonard was called up to serve in August 1940 at the age of 20. He trained at HMS Raleigh before serving aboard Royal Navy ships in the Mediterranean throughout the war’s early years.

In late 1943, he returned to Britain and was assigned a tank landing craft in Glasgow. Preparing for the Allied invasion of Europe, he joined the crews gathering for D-Day.

On 6 June 1944, Wilsher landed at Omaha Beach during the D-Day landings. Operating a landing craft, he made repeated trips across the Channel, ferrying tanks, troops, and supplies under fire. In his own words: “Backwards and forwards.”

Later in 1944, due to increasing manpower needs, he transferred from the Navy to the Gloucestershire Regiment. This rare switch from sea to land service reflected both his adaptability and the demands of the time.

Leonard’s wartime journey – from naval action in the Mediterranean to the beaches of Normandy and then into the ranks of the Army – was a remarkable path of duty. His quiet recollections speak to the resolve and sacrifice of a generation that stood firm in the face of great adversity.