Veteran Bill Gladden's arrival in Normandy on D-Day took an unexpected turn as he found himself spread-eagled on top of a tank being carried by a glider.
Mr Gladden, 98, was part of the 6th Airborne Division and worked as a reconnaissance motorbike rider, finding out where the German troops were.
The veteran, who lives in Haverhill, Suffolk, recalls seeing the French countryside glittering with strips of silver foil that had been dropped by the RAF to disrupt the enemy's radar.
Just 12 days into the conflict he was severely wounded as the air "clattered" with gunfire.
We Were There aims to collect as many first-hand accounts as possible by 2025, the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, to preserve veterans' accounts for future generations.
The BBC is currently working on the project with a number of partners including the Normandy Memorial Trust and Royal British Legion.