- Contributed by听
- petergriffin
- People in story:听
- Grace Stocks (later Grace Griffin)
- Location of story:听
- All over England
- Background to story:听
- Royal Air Force
- Article ID:听
- A1960823
- Contributed on:听
- 04 November 2003
A Guard of Honour
One final event before my discharge from the WAAF took place in Cambridge after VE Day in 1945.
The Eighth American Air Force, based on various airfields in the East of England had done sterling work in the raids over the enemy occupied areas of Europe, and they had suffered many losses.
To commemorate their bravery, they were given the Freedom of Cambridge for the rest of their lives in a ceremony that included airmen and women from both American and British air forces. The parade included a squad each of the RAF and WAAF, selected from a number of bases in the area. I had the honour to be one of those chosen from Upwood.
We marched into the Town Hall Square where the senior American officer received an illuminated address from the Mayor on the balcony of the Town Hall. Speeches were made, and martial music suitable to the occasion was played before we marched away to much acclaim from the people of that city.
The Freedom of Cambridge was given to the British contingent just for the day. This meant that we could avail ourselves of entertainment, food, trips on the river Cam and various other delights for the remainder of the day, which was rounded off in the late evening with the biggest firework display I had ever seen before that day.
Some years later I visited the American Cemetery in Cambridge. It was a very moving occasion, seeing all those graves of the brave lads who lay in a foreign field. It is most beautifully kept, a fitting reminder of the debt we owe to our Allies.
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