D-Day veteran John McOwan appearing in charity campaign

John McOwan, who is 103 and lives in Peebles, is one of 14 veterans who will appear in the Blind Veterans UK campaign being used in London and Portsmouth in the lead up to the 80 anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy on June 6.

The centenarian, who lost his sight due to macular degeneration, started receiving support from the charity in 2017, and in 2019 to mark the 75th D-Day anniversary, joined the organisation at an event in Normandy.

John McOwan in the campaign in London (Image: The Snapshot People (Supplied by Blind Veterans UK))

John said: “Everything the charity does to help veterans makes a huge difference to our quality of life.

"When writing my memoirs, the charity provided a volunteer to write up my handwritten notes, wide-lined paper, a magnifier and lighting.” 

John was 23 years old when he was stationed in the Middle East and Italy with the Desert Rats – 7th Armoured Division as an instruments mechanic with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) before his division was called back to England before the Normandy landings in 1944.

He said: “We were in camps near Felixstowe and just prior to the mission we boarded the landing crafts and sailed the English Channel overnight and then laid anchor off the beaches in the morning of D-Day. 

“Some of us had to lay to for some time before we could get ashore which wasn’t very comfortable when we were under fire from the Luftwaffe.

"But it was an epic sight to see so many ships in one area that one had the feeling you could almost walk from one ship to another.” 

John and his division landed on Gold Beach and avoided snipers, artillery and mines to get off the beach.

He added: “We managed to get up off the beach without any casualties.

"The troops had cleared several miles of the enemy, so we were able to get a few miles inland.” 

John McOwan as a young man (Image: Blind Veterans UK)As part of the campaign, photos of John and his fellow veterans, taken by award-winning photographer Richard Cannon, will appear on a digital board at Outernet London, in Soho, and on two Alight Media screens in Portsmouth.

During the coronavirus pandemic John decided to write his memoirs. And with the support of Blind Veterans UK his book was published.

He said: “Everything the charity does to help veterans makes a huge difference to our quality of life.

"When writing my memoirs, the charity provided a volunteer to write up my handwritten notes, wide-lined paper, a magnifier and lighting.” 

CEO of Blind Veterans UK, Adrian Bell, said: “When talking to our veterans about their experience of D-Day, many often dismiss or trivialise as unimportant the part they played.

"Many say that they were no more than a small cog in a huge enterprise.  

“However, when we take a step back and consider the scale and ultimate success of the operation, it could not have succeeded without such commitment from so many people playing their part.  

“Here at Blind Veterans UK we salute them all and are proud to be here to give them the support they need to live independent and fulfilling lives after sight loss.”  

The veterans who took part in the campaign have also had their portraits laid over an image from D-Day or other significant images from the Second World War.

The portraits are on display at the National Army Museum in London until June 9.

On the campaign, the ADOT Foundation, the official charity partner of Outernet, said: “As we commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, it’s so important to support and honour this pivotal moment in history.

"By remembering the bravery and sacrifice of those who fought for freedom, we ensure that their legacy continues to inspire future generations.  

“ADOT proudly sponsors Blind Veterans UK by donating screen time at Outernet, London. ADOT hopes that by amplifying this anniversary on Outernet’s VISTA screens, it will encourage us to stand in solidarity, paying tribute to the heroes of D-Day and everything they fought to protect.”  

John McOwan overlaid on an image showing tanks and equipment being unloaded on the invasion beaches in Normandy with barrage balloons hanging above (Image: Richard Cannon/Blind Veterans UK)

George Rossides, founder and CEO of OOhyes, an advertising company, said: “I’m delighted to have planned this campaign for Blind Veterans UK.

"D-Day is one of the key moments in our country’s collective history, so it’s important that we honour the veterans who were there.  

“By displaying their portraits on London’s Outernet we can show these veterans at the size and scale they deserve on one of London’s most iconic advertising sites.

"And it was also important to run the campaign on Alight Media’s screens in Portsmouth, as the main departure point for units destined for Sword Beach on 6 June, 1944.” 

To learn more about the 14 D-Day veterans, including photographs and diary entries from 1944, visit: blindveterans.org.uk/dday80  

Blind Veterans UK supports thousands of ex-service people who struggle with sight loss.

For more information, visit blindveterans.org.uk/gethelp  or call 0800 389 7979.