大象传媒

This story has been written onto the 大象传媒 People's War site by CSV Storygatherer Kate Langdon on behalf of Mr Eustice Benney. They fully understand the terms and conditions of the site.

I'd lived on Trevose Farm, Mawnan since I was born and remember the army being billetted in our fields. The Americans widened the road, Long Lane, from Helford Passage to Mabe.

On the farm we could see the activities on the river. The army had four anti aircraft guns and each regiment took and brought their own machinery. You can occasionally see today where the guns were fitted. In the camp they had 4 acres of wire netting raised off the ground for sound. The soldiers helped on the farm and for a certain camp, water was brought onto the field to supply the regiment.

They had a big anti mine net from Toll Point to Gazaine to catch the mines. The mine sweepers dragged their nets and my father and his horseman went to the beach at Gweek to pull in the anti mine nets. We were not the only people, all the farmers helped out.

The navy were based on Toll Point. I can't remember how many were there and I think they were there for observations. You can still see the concrete fixing for the anti mine nets.

The army and navy worked together at Toll Point and the army had guns placed all the way down the cliff. The Home Guards practiced with the soldiers using the guns on the cliff. The American Army Unit stayed in the Clarke's boathouse on Parson's Beach and they had one Boefer? gun.

Land mines dropped at Carwinnion killed Mr & Mrs Cutler and damaged houses in the area. This was a shock to the community. Large boulders were blown about half a mile into my dad's 9 acre cornfield.

I was in a field picking potatoes and I saw a bomb being dropped to hit a pier, but they missed and it landed in the river. At the same time a bomb was dropped at Mawgan, but no damage was done.

When I attended school I remember one day seeing the oil wells on fire at Swanvale after a bomb had been dropped.

An army shooting range was at Rosemullion which is still here today.

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