D-Day survivor aged 98 calls WW2 'pretty rough'

A 98-year-old D-Day survivor has published a book about World War Two, describing his experience of the Normandy landings as ‘pretty rough’.

Pensioner William Glen is a fiction author (who goes by the pseudonym Glen Williams) and is best known for his action novels about mafia bosses, South American drug lords and lottery-winning pensioners.

‘Chap next to me who died was only 18’

Mr Glen, who now lives in sheltered housing run by care home owner Bield, was among the Allied forces who crossed the English channel and landed on the beaches of Normandy, France - beginning the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control during World War II.

His decision to cast fiction aside, to write his own real-life account of his part in the landing operations on 6 June 1944, was not an easy one as it brought back harrowing memories.

The 98-year-old, whose memoirs is called ‘Single File’, said of D-Day: “It was pretty rough – we were in action and fighting for two days when both of my legs were badly wounded by a mortar bomb.

“I lost four of my platoon at the same time.

“I would have been 23 then, but the chap next to me who died was only 18. I don’t know what his life was like; if he lived with his parents or had a wife.

“That’s the thing about the army, you’re all good friends but you know nothing about their social lives.”

Mr Glen survived the attack but was forced to leave his remaining platoon as he was taken away by stretcher.

The memory is still clear in Mr Glen’s mind.

“It’s easy to think back, I do it all the time. The war was almost 80 years ago and I wanted to write about it now because in five years’ time it will just be history. There’ll be no survivors left.”

Man lying in hospital bed next to him was his brother

Mr Glen, who lives at Bield’s Carntyne Gardens in Glasgow, attended writing classes in his retirement and has received praise fellow tenants at Carntyne Gardens, since publishing the memoir.

Carol Harvey, deputy manager at Carntyne Gardens, run by Bield, said: “Mr Glen gave the book to staff and tenants who have all really enjoyed reading his work.

“He went through an awful lot. My favourite part to read was when he realised in hospital that the man lying next to him was his brother.

“With his drive and energy for writing, Mr Glen is truly inspiring – proving that age is just a number when it comes to something you are passionate about.”

‘Daft wee stories’

Mr Glen has decided to donate all proceeds from the sale of his book to Erskine home for Veterans.

The 98-year-old Mr Glen, worked as a plumber before he retired but only penned his first book at the age of 96.

He said: “The book about me, that’s just a one off.”

Referring to his fiction novels, he said: “It’s only recently in the last couple of years that I’ve started writing and it’s usually just daft wee stories.”

Already in the process of writing his fourth fiction book, the author has kept tight-lipped about the plot but revealed: “I think it may be my best one yet.”

You can purchase ‘Single File’ by Glen Williams on Amazon Kindle.

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