A SCHOOLBOY who became obsessed with the Second World War after discovering his Italian grandfather and English great-grandfather fought on opposite sides in the same battle had his dream come true when he met real-life D-Day veterans.

On Saturday, on the 65th anniverary of the 1944 D-Day landings, Francesco Piras, of Larkhill, Wantage, was taken by his mother Julie to Normandy so he could see for himself where the invasion took place.

World leaders, including Gordon Brown and Barack Obama, stood alongside war veterans in northern France to mark the event.

The nine-year-old Charlton Primary School pupil has even dug a trench in his back garden and also has had his hair cut in a 1940s’ style.

On D-Day, British gliders from the 6th Airborne Division parachuted in, capturing Pegasus Bridge after a 10-minute fire-fight.

Francesco said: “When we got there at dawn I had to walk to Pegasus Bridge from Sword Beach because Caen was closed because President Obama was coming.

“We saw a couple of marches at the bridge and the last five survivors came past. Most of them were in wheelchairs, they were quite old.

“In the war, they took the bridge in 10 minutes.

“We also went to a graveyard and I found a grave of an unknown soldier and the church and the bridge had bullet holes.”

He added: “I dug a mini trench on Sword Beach on June 6 and I saw the landscape. The beach is quite long and they must have had to run a long way under fire.

“It was like a dream come true.”

He said: “I like the war because my great-grandfather Cyril Gregor was in a tank in northern Africa and so was my Italian grandfather, Giovanni Piras.

“They were in the same battle. It’s strange, he was in a tank, they might have tried to shoot each other, but missed.

“I like meeting veterans and I’m interested in weapons and strategy and hearing about the casualties on both sides. I really like hearing their stories. If they hadn’t been in the Army we would have been under German control.

“D-Day was quite impressive because the Germans had such a strong resistance.”

Francesco’s great-grandfather fought with the 5th Batallion Royal Tank Regiment.

Mrs Piras, 41, said: “He torments me with questions about it and he was just desperate to meet someone who was there.

“It was like a pilgrimage, it was really nice. The veterans were very kind to him.

“He’s a shy child, but that didn’t stop him asking them questions on what it was like in the tank.

“They seem touched a nine-year-old would bother to come and meet them. They hope he will help other people remember.”