大象传媒

I was in the 2nd Battalion East Yorks, 3rd British Infantry Division and on May 8 1945 I was in a small town called Delmonhorst on the outskirts of Breman. We had just took the town when we received orders over the radio from divisional HQ to cease all activities as the war in Europe had come to and end but we were to stand by for more information.

It was a very happy occasion as my friends and I knew that we had made it. It had been such a hard slog for us that had seemed like a lifetime with all the unpleasantness of war. Our regiment then left Delmonhorst and went to a village called Wersmold near Osnabruk, the town that is now twinned with Derby.

In this village there was a pub but as the old song goes this pub had no beer. Our commanding officer said that we would have to put that right so he detailed five of us to take a lorry and go on the scrounge and not to come back empty handed. After a long search we eventually found a brewery with one man looking after it. He told us, in broken English, to take what we wanted as long as we signed for it. We signed the receipt Mickey Mouse but he was happy and so were we.

We returned to Wersmold and opened the pub and a good time was had by all. It was such a good feeling to know that it was all over.

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