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This story has been written onto the ´óÏó´«Ã½ People's War site by CSV Storygatherer, Pam McCarthy, on behalf of Christopher Andrews. They fully understand the terms and conditions of the site.

Having seen action at Gold Beach in Normandy when I was in the Argyle Regiment; at 21 years of age I was glad to have my thoughts occupied by the dances I attended when I transferred to the Pay Core (32 Company R.A.P.C.) in Exeter. Exeter was a sad sight having received extensive bombing but that didn’t deter our ability to go out and have a good time. I attended many a dance at the Civic Hall, Buller Hall and Higher Barracks where my friends and I enjoyed the RAF bands, and others, playing our favourite tunes and meeting the lovely ladies . . . . I was lucky enough to meet my future wife, Betty Edworthy, at one such dance at the beginning of 1945. I saw her across the dance hall and knew she was going to be my girl. We loved to dance Modern Ballroom and our favourite was the Slow Fox Trot (though not as fancy as you might see the professionals demonstrate the dance these days). We loved Henry Hall, Felix Mendelsohn and his Hawaiian Serenaders, Harry Roy, Vera Lynn and Nat Ganella. Betty was 16 when I met her and worked at Coulsons lady’s shop in Exeter where she did the accounts. No calculators or computers in those days - she had a good, neat style of handwriting and the ability to add up long columns of figures in her head, which also impressed her next employers at Cowly Bridge Road Laundry. I well remember that first night that I walked her home during a blackout; we nearly bumped into her mother walking down the ‘drang’ at the side of the house! Later that year I attended the Victory Parade in London. I remained in the army until I was demobbed in 1947.

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