大象传媒

This is a story about the happiness that freedom can bring.

It was 1944. I was 23 years old -- a Sapper in the Royal Engineers, responsible for organising checks on cargo, berth ships, getting supplies onto vans. I was in Bruges in Belgium after the Normandy Landings, before moving to Brussels -- I was running a large Gemran depot at Villevoord, after the Germans had fled. I was in charge of thirty men.

I met a Jewish family. For the first time in such a long time, they were free to walk in the roads. They were free to show themselves. They had been in hiding from the Nazis for several years. I remember one very pretty young lady -- ! -- dark hair, she hadn't been allowed to flirt with anyone, and her family invited me in for a meal. We whooped it up from 6pm to 12 midnight. It was impromptu, such fun. I still remember her now.

My feelings? Greater jublilation than was to come on VE Day itself. There was this amazement that people could go so mad -- but then again, they had suffered so much. There were crowds all along the streets. We walked arm in arm.

THIS STORY WAS SUBMITTED TO THE SITE BY JOHN YOUNG OF 大象传媒 SOUTH EAST TODAY, ON BEHALF OF MAJOR R GOULDEN. MAJOR GOULDEN UNDERSTANDS THE SITE'S TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

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