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Donald Howkins: 'We had no idea what was going to happen'

Donald Howkins was an apprentice butcher in Buckingham when war broke out.

By May 1944, Donald became a gunner in the Middlesex Regiment, and he was heading to the front line.

He was told to water-proof weapons and vehicles at a holding camp in Weybridge to prepare for a beach landing on D-Day.

During his time in Europe, Donald received a bad shrapnel wound which resulted in a hospital stay, where he first received the news of the birth of his son.

We Were There aims to collect as many first-hand accounts as possible by 2025, the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, to preserve veterans' accounts for future generations.

The BBC is currently working on the project with a number of partners including the Normandy Memorial Trust and Royal British Legion. Some of the stories collected may be shared with our partners and used on BBC News platforms.

If you have a story to share, or know someone who does, please click here to tell us a little bit more or use one of the methods below.

Do you or someone you know have memories of World War Two? Please share these experiences by emailing [email protected].

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

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