- Contributed byÌý
- MichaelSizeland
- People in story:Ìý
- Prudence Mary Sizeland (nee Morgan)
- Location of story:Ìý
- The North Atlantic
- Background to story:Ìý
- Civilian
- Article ID:Ìý
- A5082068
- Contributed on:Ìý
- 15 August 2005
I write in response to your appeal fror WW II anecdotes from local viewers, especially those with memories of VJ Day.
My mother, brother and I were "war guests" from Croydon in Toronto from 1940 to 1945 - our father was serving abroad in the RAF. We returned to England after VJ Day from Halifax, Nova Scotia, on board the old Queen Elizabeth which was then acting as a troopship bringing back British troops from such theatres of war as the Japanese Prisoner of War camps in the Far East.
I still remember those poor, thin, emaciated but free uniformed men being so delighted to see children again, play games and ply us very generously with their precious and newly acquired "candy" !
We docked at Southampton on 5th November 1945 to explosions of fireworks which we thought, quite wrongly, were just for us - it was, of course, Guy Fawkes Night !
I wonder if there are any more of your regional viewers who were aboard the Queen Elizabeth on that memorable journey ?
Prue Sizeland (nee Morgan) Chichester
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