ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

It seemed almost peaceful in Paris that autumn after we arrived. We had been flown over two weeks after the liberation of Paris to staff the offices of the American Army Headquarters. September. The sunshine was warm in the boulevards of that city. When we left London the V2s were falling often over London. These bombs aimed I believe at no particular part of the city, fell without warning. Whereas the V1s, which preceded them — named buzz bombs or doodlebugs — you could hear only too well, then see them, as they were fitted with motorbike engines with long tails of fire. We would listen for the sound of those little chugging engines, pray it wouldn’t stop until it had passed over you because once it stopped the bomb would fall and create havoc on the buildings it hit and death too.

It was cold that winter in Paris — very cold. No heating in our billets so we bought, strictly against orders, electric fires. Too many of them of course and the fuses blew. It was lucky we didn’t set our hotel on fire…

There was little heating in the offices where we worked. The lighting was often inadequate so we had candles which were also useful to warm our fingers! The Colonel in charge had to stand out on the adjacent balcony with the door open if he wanted to contact the front line with his field telephone…

It all sounds pretty grim but I don’t remember our grumbling much.

We were reminded that before using that building it had to be checked for booby traps. It was common practice for the Germans to put traps on the lavatory chains and to set these too on door handles of cupboards which were obviously used.

However, so quickly had they had to evacuate Paris at the time of the liberation that unfinished meals were found on a table in the corner of some offices.

Then spring came and the fighting moved further away it seemed. Then suddenly the ‘Battle of the Bulge’ and we all feared Paris might be occupied again. Thankfully, the tide turned and on 8th May, as we all know, the war in Europe ended. To be in Paris on that day was a wonderful experience for us all…
But that’s another story.

Angela Vivian

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.