大象传媒

My name is Tony Harris. Although I was a child during the second world war I still have vivid memories of that time. I lived and still do in the Nuneaton area of Warwickshire close to the City of Coventry. Amongst my childhood memories of the war two things particularly come to mind. I remember the American GI's who had a camp at the Arbury Hall estate in Stockingford (an area of Nuneaton) and I still clearly remember the night of the Coventry Blitz.

My Gran Lotti Harper lived in the Round Towers in Stockingford. These are the gatehouse entrance to the Arbury Hall estate. Our family was linked to the estate over the years as tenants and employees. Having been ill I went to live with my Gran for a while to help Mum out as she had my two brothers and sister to look after at home as well as her work at Courtaulds. Gran wanted me to stay - to"adopt" me. I had a great time there playing on the estate and going to school with my nearby cousins. She took me to the seaside for the very first time to Barmouth in Wales. My cousin Johnnie came as well. As kids we saw lights flashing out at sea during the night and imagined they were German submarines ! She taught me how to play cards by the light of oil lamps and I clearly remember the sound of the rain pitter patting on the Tower's old leaded windows. It was while I was there that I met the Yanks when they arrived and set up a camp on the estate. When they left it was replaced by a German prisoner of war camp. The German prisoners went on to rebuild the bombed church at Chilvers Coton in Nuneaton.

I remember one GI gave me an American coin with a Red Indian on it. Also, I remember they used to sneak around the back and through Gran's garden to avoid the sentries on the gates sometimes. Once one GI teasingly threatened to deal with Gran's dachshund dog "Mark" who had been given to her by Lady Fitzroy. After all he was a GERMAN sausage dog ! Most of all I remember being allowed to ride up the drive in the jeep every morning and turning on the water for the camp. Quite predictive really as I went on in adult life to serve my time and become a Registered Plumber.

Most of the Arbury GI's who left in 1944 went to the Normandy landings to Omaha beech in fact. As they left they threw out goodies as I watched by the gates. Gran had loads of cubed sugar for quite a time after that ! Looking back they were young and they were generous. In later years I have visited the battlefields of Northern France with my son. Having visited Normandy and been to Omaha beech, I wondered as I walked through the lines of crosses at the nearby war cemetary how many Arbury GI's perished and were buried there ? As one of them said to me at the time "you're lucky son" - I didn't understand what he mean't at the time but I do now !

As for the Coventry Blitz I remember being dragged out of bed by my Mum, the noise, the feeling of the bare bed springs in the Anderson shelter on my back and how the sky was lit red. My Dad fire watching on the top of the Co-op building in Nuneaton town centre often spoke of a massive land mine parachuted down on to the town by the Germans. He said they felt so helpless watching it drop. They could do nothing about it but watch. Fortunately it didn't go off. For if it had it would have blown away half the town. The Fleet Air Arm bomb disposal from Gamecock Barracks at the nearby Bramcote airfield were called in and diffused it in the end.

Other memories of the war ? Of a German plane which came down over at nearby Bermuda village. Most kids myself included had a souvenir from its wreckage. Also as a school kid being lined up along the road to see the King and Queen as they passed through on their way to visit Coventry. We all receieved either some chocolate or pumps, myself pumps, as a sort of morale gift at the time.

I remember the sadness and sorrow of my Aunt Nance when Uncle Frank died serving in the Warwicks and how a lively neighbour Mrs Hood faded to a pale shadow of herself when her son was fatally wounded at Caen.

I can see cousin Bertie Willn's winged photo on the side at home in pride of place. A cousin who was a fighter pilot what else could a lad want. I think fondly of my Mum's brother Uncle Joe who walked five miles through all the carnage after the blitz to see if we were all still alive and Uncle Bill in Canada who sent us food so that we didn't starve. And finally I remember with the fondest of memories my Grandad's brother Uncle Jack sitting in his rocking chair at the Towers chewing tobacco and reminiscing over his exploits in the Boer War and running his critical eye over the Yanks with their fancy carbine rifles. All good honest English working people who alongside the other good honest working people in the rest of the Britain, the British Empire, United States and Soviet Union made their humble but so important individual contributions to the defeat of barbarism !

GOD BLESS THEM ALL

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