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Peter Bickmore: 'I've never seen blisters so big'

Peter Bickmore was aboard the Royal Navy's Motor Torpedo Boat 243 when a devastating air raid hit the Italian port of Bari in December 1943.

The raid by German bombers caused the deadly release of mustard gas that was being stored on one of the Allied ships - an incident Winston Churchill ordered to be kept secret for years.

Peter received the British Empire Medal (BEM) "for outstanding gallantry shown in the rescue work" during which he had suffered burns from the gas.

He would receive the BEM again in later life for his charitable work supporting veterans and keeping alive the memory of the Coastal Forces.

He passed away in August 2023, just short of his 99th birthday. This interview was recorded in March 2023 at his home in Essex.

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. Some of the stories collected may be shared with our partners and used on BBC News platforms.

If you have a story to share, or know someone who does, please click here to tell us a little bit more or use one of the methods below.

Do you or someone you know have memories of World War Two? Please share these experiences by emailing [email protected].

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

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