A 102-year old World War Two veteran from Guernsey said rebuilding his life after the war was “difficult”.
Tom Morris was born in 1924 and joined the British Army as a gunner near the start of the war aged just 15, serving “all over” including the Netherlands and Germany.
He told Express it was “difficult to settle down again” after he was demobbed, two years after the war ended.
“They wanted us in Germany after the war ended to keep an eye on them,” he said, and he also had to spend some time in Manchester before returning to the island.
Mr Morris met his future wife after returning and spent several decades employed by States Works.
Despite living “hapilly ever after”, Mr Morris said it “took time to settle”.
Mr Morris’ great-great nephew, Jacob, said he “loved” hearing “Uncle Tom’s” war stories.
Mr Morris was stationed in Germany in 1945 when the Germans surrendered.
One of his most-frightening memories was when his crew was put in a lightened tank with a fake turret to keep the weight down, so they could observe the Germans but escape easily if they were discovered.
Philippa Hardwick, his great niece, said: “They could report back on the enemy positions”.
“We were worried we’d get captured,” Mr Morris said.
‘There with them’
Ms Hardwick said it was “so important” to hear the stories of people who lived through the war directly, rather than online or from social media.
To “hear the original stories, the true stories, as it was happening” was “almost like you were there with them”, she added.
Mr Morris recently moved into the Blanchelande Park nursing home, but lived independently until a few months ago.
He was one of the first residents to receive a Liberation Day hamper this year, which he said was “very nice”.