A D-Day hero aged 99 is overjoyed at reuniting with a Second World War truck identical to one he drove on to Juno beach – repainted in honour of his late wife Nancy.
At 8.20am on Tuesday June 6 1944, 20-year-old RAF driver David Teacher drove his three-tonne Bedford QL off a landing craft and onto the Canadian section of the Normandy beach, as Luftwaffe bombs exploded around him.
David, from Bury, Greater Manchester, spent three months on Juno beach helping the Allies land their forces, sleeping either inside the Bedford or under it in the face of terrifying German bombardment.
In 2017 the widower was driven along Juno beach in a WWII Bedford QL adapted for wheelchairs and named Nancy in David’s late wife’s honour by its then owner Craig Keeble – before the truck was sold.
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But last Sunday – in a surprise arranged by friend and his biographer Richard Alexander, 52 – the great-granddad was as giddy as a schoolboy when reunited with that Nancy Bedford at its new home in Ingleton, North Yorkshire.
And it’s even been repainted with the livery of his 103 Beach Unit from D-Day, giving the double amputee OAP goosebumps when it trundled out to meet him.
David – awarded an MBE for his charity work – told the Daily Express: “I could never have even dreamt of seeing the old girl again, looking so fine, and with Nancy’s name still on the front of it – I’m lost for words! She never let me down, not once, and I never thought we’d see each other again.
That vehicle served me very well. It went from D-Day and all the way through Germany. It’s hard to believe being here and now to see it.”
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The great-grandfather thanked all the friends who helped make his wish to see Nancy again come true. He said: “I can’t tell you how I feel. That all these people still care; it’s very humbling, marvellous.
“Days like this mean I can look forward to the next. What a wonderful job they did.” Richard Alexander – a film-maker and former TV presenter – said all the planning was worth it to see David’s smile light up when he saw his Nancy again.
Richard said: “Being David’s friend has been a joy and turning his remarkable story into a book has been an honour.
“Last Sunday’s trip to see Nancy again was magical for all of us and very emotional. While David was transferred from car to wheelchair, he never suspected a thing.
“As he was turned to face the onlookers, the QL rolled smoothly out from behind a large mound and the penny dropped.
“He started recognising familiar faces and bubbled with excitement before recounting stories from the war.
“It was a great day and wonderful to see David and Nancy back together.” David was 15 when war broke out. In 1942 he did basic training and then, in early 1943, volunteered for the new combined operations outfit and found himself in 103 Beach Unit.
In September 1943 it received the new Bedford QL trucks, which they trained in and learned to waterproof so they could drive off landing craft into six foot of water – which he ended up doing on June 6, 1944.
The RAF Beach Squadrons discharged men, vehicles and stores – with David one of the first off the landing craft on to Juno beach.
After his role on Juno, David served in the Netherlands and in the freezing winter 1944 Battle of the Bulge in Belgium attached to the American 1st Army, with whom his unit advanced into Germany.
He was later was awarded a Legion d’honneur – the highest French order of merit for his efforts fighting the enemy.
Despite his feet being numb with the cold of the Battle of the Bulge with temperatures as low as -22C, it was only a recently he had to have both legs amputated due to poor circulation.
Now in a care home, until recently he volunteered at the Imperial War Museum. But in 2017 David joined his friend Richard, the Nancy Bedford truck and around 100 Normandy veterans on Juno beach to mark the 73rd D-Day anniversary.
Owner Craig Keeble and friend Steve Garrett –an ex-Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer – even fitted a special lift to get David’s wheelchair into the truck so he could ride along on the adventure to Normandy from the UK.
But Craig had to sell Nancy – but it’s new owner was keen to preserve her history and cement her links to David.
So with the help of Nancy’s owner’s brother Christopher Atkinson – and David’s friend Richard Alexander – the gang who made the 2017 Juno Beach trip with Nancy happen all met up in a surprise for David last Sunday.
And as they wheeled David up the drive and he spotted the Bedford QL Nancy his smile beamed as he spotted her unique name and registration plate ‘JSU 186’.
David said: “186! I know that one!! I drove one of those all the way to Germany!” Steve Garrett said: “We have to keep educating people, and I think the interactive way of Richard’s book speaks to a younger generation.”
- To read Richard Alexander’s biography of David Teacher MBE’s extraordinary life No Ordinary Tuesday packed with hundreds of photos, visit Richard’s website.
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