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For children born, like Margaret and her friends, in 1939 or during the war years, the visual effects were taken as normal. The bombed debris, the air-raid shelters, the Emergency Water tanks and the barrage balloons, all were accepted features of their lives. Wavertree Playground, the "Mystery" was an open space of many acres, abutting the main railway line and as a defence measure trenches had been dug and two barrage balloons floated above the
Area.

The children's playground with its swings, climbing bars, maypole and slides was the only section in use during the war years, the rest was cordoned off with picket fencing. It was only the occasional intrepid dog and owner who ventured onto the uneven ground beyond the picket fence. Naturally the vast open space held a fascination for the children, but like the railway embankment it was strictly out of bounds.

With the long years of war over the city was slowly beginning its hard task to clear the bombed debris, and re-open its many parks and gardens, and the "Mystery" was no exception. One summer morning the usual gang of children gathered in Colville Street, all seeking adventure. Sydney Morgan and Tony Maguire, were eager to relate their news. "We are going to the "Mystery", things are happening there today" explained Tony "My Uncle Jack who is a Parkie, he told me mam and dad, that the Army's coming today". This information was met with a collective widening of eyes "Uncle Jack says they are going to take the barrage balloons down. Sydney and me we are going, are yous all coming?" The gang quickly raced down the street, round into Fairbank Street, across Wellington Road and through the park gates.

By the large crowd of excited children, and some adults, milling around besides the picket fencing, the news had spread. On the other side of the fence four or five army trucks were parked and standing around smoking and chatting were groups of British soldiers. Suddenly the soldiers drew themselves up as out of the front of one of the trucks appeared a tall figure with the distinctive Sergeant's stripes emblazoned on his uniform. "Right lads, lets have you" barked this imposing man and the soldiers as one straightened their shoulders and made their way over the uneven ground towards the ropes and pulleys that secured the floating barrage balloons.

Part of the picket fencing was down, where the trucks had driven through and slowly the children began to pass through the gap and quietly follow the soldiers, carefully picking their way across the trenches. " Nosey bleeding kids" yelled the Sergeant. "Right you lot, you can come through, but watch yourselves. I've got enough to do keeping these bloody squaddies in check, I'm not nurse minding kids as well" grumbled the Sergeant, good naturedly.

"I've never been through the fence before" said Margaret excitedly. "I have" boasted Tony "Me dad brings us through when we walk our Spot". Spot was a large, friendly dog of dubious pedigree but much loved, not only by the Maguire family but all their neighbours. "Me dad says Spot needs a good walk, and we often bring him here".

Close too the barrage balloons floating high above the children's heads, were huge, the sides of the balloons taut rounded and at the back end the massive fins. Through the opening in the fence appeared an Army Land Rover, which carefully made its way to the waiting group of soldiers. An uniformed officer with a smart peaked cap got out of the vehicle and as one the Sergeant and his men drew to attention. All the children fell silent, not wanting to be noticed by this important and official person. "Morning Sergeant, men. See we have an audience. Right into groups of three, we'll sort out the guy ropes and then let these big buggers down. Take some time though, they've been kept well filled".

To the amazed fascination of the watching children the taut shiny grey barrage balloons began to change in shape. The fins began to droop and then collapse and the sides of the two balloons began to quiver as the
air slowly escaped. Also the guy ropes slackened and began to swing about as the balloons began to lower to the ground. The soldiers started to pull on the ropes and the balloons slowly descended, and the children could hear the air escaping from the deflating balloons. Standing there it was an eerie scene, the whooshing as the limp grey material of the balloon was swished about by the escaping air. "Right you kids, move right back now. They're almost down, don't want one of you lost in the folds on the ground" ordered the Sergeant. Excited, but mindful of the danger the children moved back in unison, as the two deflated balloons sank down on to the ground.

"Right youngsters, excitement over for the day. Off you all go now, don't want you running about as the men fold these monsters and get them loaded onto the trucks" requested the Officer. Impressed by his authoritative manner and smart uniform Margaret and the other children wandered slowly back to the Children's Playground. "We'll come back tomorrow and see what's going to happen then" said Jimmy eagerly. "I'll call for yous early".

"I've got to have my breakfast early this morning Mum" said Margaret as she entered the kitchen. "Please can I have my breakfast early, would be nice" said Peggy. "What are you going to do that means an early start? She laughed, handed Margaret a bowl of cereal. "They've taken the barrage balloons away from the Mystery" Margaret told her mother, "And we want to go back and see what's going on". "Fine, as long as you, Jimmy and Pauline stick together, and don't make yourselves a nuisance" Peggy ordered.

The children made their way from the Playground up the Mystery, but found that they could only go so far. Where the barrage balloons had been a picket fence had been erected and standing in front of it where, to the children's utter amazement armed British soldiers. Behind the fence there were groups of men dressed in dark blue overalls all busy with shovels and picks leveling off the trenches. The only British soldiers any of the children had ever seen were possibly Jimmy's dad, the Morgan's "Uncles" and soldiers on Pathe Newsreels at the Magnet cinema. Here were real live soldiers and carrying rifles as well. "Whatya doing, why've you got guns?" enquired Jimmy of one of the soldiers. "To shoot you, if you don't behave" the soldier laughed. "Don't be frightening the kid" said an older soldier with a Corporal's stripe. "See those fellas there, digging like hell? Well they are German Prisoners of War. They are waiting to go back home, poor buggers. The Top Brass has got them working, until they are repatriated. Sent home to you and me".

The children's eyes were like saucers as they took in the Corporal's words and then looked at the Prisoners of War. They were Germans! All of them had heard from the radio, newsreels and their parents about the Germans, and here were some in their Mystery. "They don't look strange do they? Margaret whispered to Pauline. "Some of them look nice and they are only young too". The crowd of children grew beside the picket fence as the news had spread that dreaded Germans were in the Mystery. Everybody wanted to see a real live German for themselves.

Besides a Land Rover four British soldiers erected a wooden trestle table, arranging rows of heavy white mugs and large plates of thickly cup sandwiches. The Sergeant from the day before suddenly appeared and blew loudly on his whistle "Right you lot. Lets be having you, teas up. Good strong char, no nancy coffee here" he laughed as the Germans left their digging and moved to the table. Taking the mugs of tea and sandwiches some of them sat on the uneven ground and others moved towards the picket fence. As they moved nearer, Margaret and Pauline stepped further back on their side of the fence. "Are you going to speak to them?" Pauline asked. "Can they speak English?" She and Margaret gazed up at three of the Germans standing in front of them, separated only by the picket fence. "Hello!" said a tall thin youth to Margaret. He had blonde hair and bright blue eyes. "Hello, what is your name? Mine name is Heinz". He had a soft voice, and Margaret found it difficult to follow as he had such a strange accent. "I'm Margaret, and this is my friend Pauline" she replied nervously. "That's a pretty name, we have that name in Germany too. How old are you. I think you must be about eight or nine. I have a little sister in Mainz and she is nine. Her name is Helga".

Many of the children were now talking to the Germans and as they all discussed them on the way home, it was strange that even though they were Germans they had mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, just like the British. Margaret and Pauline decided that they would not tell their mothers about meeting the Germans, but would go back and see them the next day.

The children did exactly that and in fact they went there for the whole of the week that the land was being leveled. Margaret and Heinz talked to each other, and he told her about his family back home in Mainz, and how he missed them for he had not seen them for two years. He was nineteen years old and had been shot in the leg and captured in France not long after he joined the army. He told Margaret that he was very lucky to have been taken to a British Army Hospital and then brought to England. He was now counting the days until he would go home. It was only a matter of weeks and he would be back in Mainz with his mother, father and little sister.

They were drawn to each other the little girl of eight and the lonely young German, so far from home and so homesick for his family. "Will you give me your address Margaret? When I go back to Mainz, I would like to write to you. When I was at school before the war, I was very good at the English language and I can write it quite well. Will you write back to me?" "You write to me, and I'll write back in my very best double writing" Margaret promised. Margaret carefully wrote her name and address on the piece of paper that Heinz handed her and they said goodbye. When the children went back to the park the next day, the picket fence, Land Rover and all the other equipment had gone. The British soldiers had gone and so had the Germans. Margaret felt so sad that Heinz had gone. She felt so many conflicting emotions that she did not understand and would not have been able to describe. She was never to forget Heinz and because of future events she was never able to speak of him.

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