William Henry 'Bill' Harmon was Arthur Looker's platoon leader on D-Day. (He dedicated his book, In at the Deep End, to Bill).

*Corporal Harmon's wound page on the 28th February, 1945 is listed as 'not a battle casualty.

Extract from interview posted on the BBC's People's War site by William's son, David, explains what happened.

"I made my way to where the lads were and the lad from 17 Platoon was talking about his luger revolver. “Aye, the German blew his head off”. I didn’t think it was loaded. He held the Luger, I was next to him and I started to think of those few minutes again. Then he pressed the trigger and that gun WAS loaded and the bullet went through my foot, entering at the top of the ankle and going through my heel. I felt the hot pain of it and said “you silly basket, you’ve shot me!” I was still standing, blood coming out of the lace holes of my left foot. Cries of “Stretcher bearer” bought Joe Lant and Rolly Cunningham forward, Rolly lived in Shields beside me and they carried me quickly to the dressing station, catching up to the two officers.

You can find the full article here, which includes the details of William's time in Normandy.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/54/a2870354.shtml

Serving with D Company, he was still recovering from his wounds in June 1945. (Borderers' Chronicle, June 1945, p.58)

His medal card records him living in North Shields.

Bill received the DCM for his actions earlier in the War.

"When C and D Companies emerged from the woods into the heather they were met by MG crossfire. L/Cpl W. Harmon of D Company crawled out into the open under heavy fire and flung two hand grenades into one MG, then rushed it firing his Sten, killed the machine gunners and immediately did the same with the next MG post."

Page 120, Monty's Ironsides by Patrick Delaforce