ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

"Well there was the Dunkirk, evacuation of Dunkirk. There were other things, people weren’t told about, but since of course they’ve come to light. In the West Country, when all those American soldiers were missing, and. Only the local people, of course people couldn’t travel there wasn’t the public transport. You couldn’t use your car. If you had a cycle you were made, and you looked after it almost like a newborn baby — to save the tyres and that sort of thing. I think in some ways it did good, made people get together more, help each other, encouraged people to save what little bit they had to save. I think it’s sort of a way of living; if you lived in those times it will never leave you. You won’t sort of waste money or anything like that, which I suppose is a good thing. The only thing is the tax man jumps in and grabs his share.�
“You did hear bits and pieces [about the Jewish Holocaust] which were very worrying. Very worrying. And there were people, I went to the college at Isleworth, there were two girls, who’s father was of Polish origin and they lived near, near Northolt aerodrome and they had to get out of there. The Government found them another place to live. People like that weren’t to live near a military area. But there were families which were separated over things like that, which was sad is some ways, because those people were, they wouldn’t have done harm to a fly sort of thing. They were all scrutinised, and had to report to the police station and all that sort of thing. There wasn’t any fear of terrorism like there is today, it was far more free and easy for people, because they were all kept in check.�
“Oh yes [people] knew about [the Resistance movements in Europe]. When you worked in it you had first hand knowledge. They made a series after the war for television, which was very, very interesting, and I think somebody that probably worked for either M15, or M16 and Government Communications which of course took over both those places, establishments. It was a very good series, very interesting. I can’t think what it was called offhand, but it was about agents in France, how they were dropped and people in the villages helped them, and they got the information of what the Germans were doing and that sort of thing. Then somebody else would be dropped in another area. They’d have to walk, your legs were made for walking sort of thing. But this series was very, very good, very interesting. I can’t think what they called it now, at all, but I know we used to watch it. Television it was on, [the interviewer’s] Mum used to watch it, she used to get quite excited about it. Could she stay up to watch it. It was interesting."

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