RONALD Hendrey was just 19 years old when he took part in the largest seaborne invasion in history.

As an able seaman, Ronald served aboard the HMS Ulster.

On June 6, 1944, off the coast of Normandy, he watched on as rocket ships and bombers opened fire on Gold beach.

He described the scale of the devastation as “beyond comprehension”.

Ronald, 93, struggled to describe the mix of emotions he felt when he paced the very same beach 75 years on from the momentous landings.

Together with his 24-year-old son Darren, Ronald visited Normandy alongside his fellow veterans.

“We went to all the beaches, but we only stopped at two - Omaha and Gold, and that was the beach I was involved in,” he said.

“I laid a cross in memory of all the lads who were killed,” he said.

“I can’t really say just what my feelings were - elated, upset, emotional - I was all of these things at once.”

“It was humbling.”

Ronald enjoyed a fully-funded trip to Normandy, taking in dinners with Royal dignitaries and memorial services, alongside 300 fellow veterans.

The trip was organised by the Royal British Legion to mark 75 years since the landings.