ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

Lavina Patterson, age 92, resident of Eastleigh Nursing ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, Peterculter, Aberdeen:
Lavina ran the Naafi, along with 2 other ladies at St. Peter's Church Hall, Peterculter, for the duration of the war. The food was cooked at home using fresh ingredients from the local butcher. Lavina was also friendly with the wife of the owner of Crosse and Blackwell's of Peterhead, so soup often featured on the menu, along with toad in the hole and macaroni. Her cousins in the USA sent over boxes of corned beef. There was a stove in the hall to make tea and dances were often held too.
The Naafi served the camp at Maryculter, where Polish and Indian soldiers were stationed. The Poles played cards a lot and the Indians made their own "chapatis", which Lavina was not very keen on. The soldiers stationed at Culter House served at Arnhem and many were killed there.
The Italian POW camp was sited in Coronation Road, on the right-hand side, opposite the Aberdeen Waterworks Tower. She remembers the huts, the barbed wire and the Italians playing football in the field.

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