The defining roar of the engine, the foul smell of vomit and the hellish thought of dying made my thoughts spin. The Germans were expecting an invasion, but I did not want to be a part of it. The boy next to me was shivering with coldness and misery. Someone behind me was being sick I could not bear to look. To my right I could see boats, boats getting ready for war.

The captain kissed his necklace with the holy cross on it. My friend mumbled a prayer… The whistle had blown. The ramp lowered but we all knew that if we came out that way we would be dead. We decided to jump over the edge. I was halfway from the shore when I stopped and thought about my family. I thought about how my little sister had cried when I said that I was going to war  and how they must be waiting for a telegraph to see if I was alive or not; and how mother and father said goodbye.

Just then I looked around there was red liquid floating in the sea and I had pain in my arm. I was losing blood as my vision started getting blurry and then it all went black…

By Rosie Bushby