ALLAN WOODHEAD was a Sergeant pharmacist of No 3 Coy, Royal Army Medical Corp, the sea-going company, which provided medical staff for hospital and troop ships. On June 2, 1944, Mr Woodhead, from Quarlton Drive, Hawkshaw, joined HMT Neuralia in King George V Dock in London Also in the dock were HMTs Lancashire, Cheshire and City of Canterbury, manned by the other medical staff with whom we had travelled from the company in Liverpool.

Neuralia embarked 1,800 troops and sailed on June 6. In line ahead, the convoy rounded North Foreland into the Dover Straits, with all troops below deck, and the ship at "Action Stations".

We had to pass the German guns on the French coast in Pas de Calais. As it turned out they were strangely silent.

This was fortunate, as at 12 knots we would have been in range for an hour or so. Later we found that the guns had set on fire and sunk SS Sambut which had sailed earlier.

Neuralia was delayed in the Solent and travelled overnight to disembark troops off Gold Beach by scrambling nets over the side into landing craff.

The ship then returned to the Solent to embark for the next trip.

This went on all summer, mostly taking American troops to Omaha beach -- 27,000 troops in all.