大象传媒

My father, Harold Wilson Hewitt, told me these memories of his time, during the Second World War, when he was a Lance Corporal in the RAF, based mostly in Belgium. He was an Instrument Fitter, about 30 years old. My Father died in 2001, aged nearly 92. He recounted much of this to me the same year and I have tried to pull it together for your interest. I apologise for any small mistakes I may have made.

The year was 1944 and he was based at Zaventem, a small town approximately eight miles outside Brussels, where there was a military airfield. There were about 200 planes on the airfield and five or six nationalities working there 鈥� Polish, American, British, Canadian and French. (This airfield has since become the main Brussels airport.)

His squadron stayed in a Convent school, which they had taken over.
It was very well appointed with pleasant rooms and fine bathrooms.
They worked around the clock in shifts with planes coming and going at any time. The planes would fly from England along the South Coast and over the channel, so the direct route was not far.

鈥淚 remember flying across the channel the very first time 鈥� we seemed to be about 12 feet above the waves. Flying was done in layers and we were flying at zero height 鈥� you could see into the sea and if there was anything on it, just look out!"

The Convent was an excellent billet and we used to go into Brussels by lorry sometimes, on a day off.
There was one excellent store there 鈥� the Bon March茅 and also a theatre where they did jokes in about three languages 鈥� the d茅cor was marvellous 鈥� streamlined in pastel shades from a large area, tapering down to thin lines. Brussels was bombed very little, as it was an open city 鈥� rather like a protected city 鈥� (like Rome not being bombed because of the Vatican, etc.)

LEISURE AMONGST THE CHAOS
On one weekend off, we stayed in a hotel in Brussels. The Hotel was excellent 鈥� as good as the London Savoy. While we had breakfast, there was a string quartet playing 鈥� rather surreal really, when we remembered what we had been doing that week.
During the day we went to The Montmorency, (which we called 鈥淭he Montgomery鈥�) 鈥� a huge establishment and estate just outside Brussels, which belonged to some Earl or other. It had been taken over for troops and had about 300 rooms. This place was really quite marvellous inside and had beautiful gardens, rather like Chatsworth, with lakes and swans.
Sometimes, 50 or 100 of the thousands of troops from the front would come back to 鈥淭he Montgomery鈥� for a week鈥檚 rest. They鈥檇 seen nothing but blood and muck and dirt for weeks and they came back and had a bath and new clothes 鈥� all they wanted was a drink and somewhere to forget about the fighting. There wasn鈥檛 time for them to go back to England and, as Brussels was an open city, they were safe enough there.

One day we stayed in a hotel in the centre of Brussels 鈥� my friend Nobby Clarke and I. A very smart hotel 鈥� had a shared room with double beds, private bathroom 鈥� the whole works. The cost was nominal for all troops. We probably had a nice meal and there was a beautiful ballroom in the basement with a full orchestra.

Well, I used to write to Ruth (my wife) frequently. I would write over 2 or 3 days and it all had to go through the censors. I wrote about this fantastic hotel and said we鈥檇 had a marvellous time and we鈥檇 done this and done that, etc. When we got back to the Zaventem camp and I was about to send the letter off, there was a letter from Ruth waiting for me. She said how hard life was at home in Lancashire 鈥� everything frozen up, so she had no water and the two children and she had all got mumps.
Well, I couldn鈥檛 send my letter telling her what a great time I was having, so I just tore my letter up and started again!

IN THE BATH FOR THE LAST PUSH!
The Germans decided to have one last big push against the allies. They mobilised their tanks and troops along the edge of the aerodrome - where the motor-racing circuit, Spa, is now.
On that occasion - I must have been off-shift - I was underground in this Convent 鈥� there seemed to be two floors in the basement with large bathrooms. I was having a bath, when suddenly all hell seemed to have been let loose. All you can do is stay put!
The aerodrome was a strategic place so was a prime target. The Germans set the petrol dumps on fire and the majority of the planes were burning. We got the reserve planes up and flying, though many were destroyed. It was horrific 鈥� the planes on fire and many men killed.
The Germans did not achieve their goal. The Allies鈥� anti-aircraft guns were firing and you could hear the fighter planes roaring around. It鈥檚 exciting as well as terrifying, although you don鈥檛 realise these things at the time 鈥� Just as well!
I was lucky to be in the basement when it all started鈥� that鈥檚 just how it happened 鈥� almost humorous!

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