After landing in Normandy on D-Day, John was part of the advance on Villers Bocage. John was commanding RHQ Troop and his tank, an A27M Cromwell, was hit by fire from the Tiger tank of the German tank ace Michael Wittman. John and his crew managed to bale out safely.
They took shelter in a cellar and went through a dramatic game of hide-and-seek for four days, before managing to rejoin the Squadron, bringing important information on the positions of German tanks and troops in the vicinity. After taking part in the Caen offensive of July 1944, John returned home to his new wife, Anne and they subsequently had three sons.