- Contributed byÌý
- East Ayrshire Libraries
- People in story:Ìý
- Albert Hoare
- Location of story:Ìý
- Darvel and Newmilns
- Background to story:Ìý
- Army
- Article ID:Ìý
- A4242322
- Contributed on:Ìý
- 22 June 2005
This story was told by Albert Hoare to East Ayrshire Library staff at Darvel World War 2 café day on Saturday 18th June 2005.
I was billeted between Darvel and Newmilns with the Royal Engineers — we were the first soldiers to be stationed here and we softened up the locals. Originally from Dover, I was stationed here for 3-4 months. We did local training and ran dances (which were very popular!) It was at one of these dances I met my future wife.
From here I went to the North of Scotland where we were attached to a mountain division. Mountain training was a kid on exercise to frighten the German’s into thinking we would get into Europe via Norway. Ironically, the infantry part of this group landed in the flattest part of Europe on D-Day!
The CO left the division and I was posted to a new division with army troops and ended up in Burma. The company was in Ragoon when the atomic bomb on Japan finished the war.
I had a month or two in Singapore then came back to the UK where he went home to Darvel and my future wife came down to join me. Three weeks later I was a married man. I spent some time in Rippon before being demobbed.
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