A Workington war veteran has clear memories of the “major final battle of the war” which lead up to VE Day 75 years ago.

Bill Pearson, 94, was in the Royal Engineers and part of the historic Operation Varsity, which lead to Allied troops securing victory on the ground, and taking control of crucial German towns, villages and strongholds.

Germany was on the eastern side of the Rhine and had destroyed all the bridges.

“The German forces were dug in 1.5 miles from the river Rhine. We had American forces on the right and Canadian Forces on the left as a great build up of bridge-building equipment and thousands of tons of equipment was moved nearer the river to erect a floating assault pontoon bridge to be able to take our tanks and vehicles,” said Mr Pearson, a member of Workington British Legion.

“The full Royal Artillery division started a 10-hour barrage of shells over our heads into enemy lines. The noise was horrendous and frightening, it only ceased when the1,500 airborne aircraft and gliders appeared overhead.

“Unknown to us at the time, on a high vantage point we were being observed by Generals Eisenhower and Montgomery and prime minister Winston Churchill. The reason they were there was this would be the final major battle of the war.

“This was the largest river assault that had ever been attempted at that time.”

Mr Pearson was the youngest soldier and, as an experienced driver, was given the role of driving the company major.

“A German reconnaissance aircraft flew low overhead and shortly after German shells started dropping near the bridge, at this point the major told me to dig two slit trenches for him and me, and rewarded me with half a mug full of rum,” he recalled.

“Once the bridge was completed our tanks started to move across into Germany towards the enemy, eventually we followed on.

“It was complete devastation, the town of Wesel had been a German stronghold and was completed obliterated into piles of rubble, cattle were lying dead in the fields having been caught up in the fire, damaged English gliders were seen strewn over the area.”

He was in Osnabruck, West Germany, on VE Day.

“There were no celebrations, just relief it was all over,” he said.

Mr Pearson, who married Daisy and has three children, was later sent to the Far East and Palestine.

He was demobbed in 1947 and joined Cumbria Constabulary in 1952. He was initially stationed at Whitehaven, then Egremont, Workington and Carlisle.

“I reached the position of police inspector and retired in 1983 while serving in Cockermouth,” he said.

He initially joined Distington British Legion and represented them at the Armistice parade in London four times, with a visit to the Royal Albert Hall for the Armistice service.

“I was president at Distington British Legion until its closure, I then joined Workington division where I am the oldest World War Two veteran,” he said.

He is a regular attender at armed forces parades in the town. “I had been looking forward to our march and celebrations in the legion afterwards but it is not to be,” he said.