大象传媒

This story has been written onto the 大象传媒 People's War site by CSV Storygatherer Robin. D. Bailey on behalf of author Mrs Margaret Unitt. They fully understand the terms and conditions of the site.

My Grandfather, Thomas Rundell was the retired Headmaster of Lanjeth Village School.

In May 1944 just prior to D-Day, the lanes and small roads in the area were full of American tanks and armoured vehicles.

It had been my grandfather's habit for many years to go out on a morning walk around the lanes.

To record his general interest in the countryside he always carried a notebook and pencil in which he wrote down the new flowers along the lanes, which birds he heard singing for the first time each year and lambs that had been moved to different fields etc.

Alongside the notes he would make sketches of the things he saw e.g. the first primrose of the year or new born lambs.

He saw no reason why he should not do the same, recording the numbers of tanks and vehicles in a certain lane, and of course, sketching them as well.

Although about 75, he took a keen interest in everything he saw and as far as he was concerned he saw no reason why he shouldn't record the new and different things appearing in his lanes.

One morning, 2 American soldiers looked over his shoulder at his note book, put a hand under each elbow, lifted him up and into a military vehicle, saying "we are arresting you as a spy".

He was driven to the Officer in Charge of the area and questioned for between 2 and 3 hours.

Full of indignation, he would have made no explanation at all. In the meantime, his daughter (my aunt) whose family he was living with, was worried by his prolonged absence.

Early in the afternoon a jeep pulled up, deposited him on the doorstep, and the 2 Americans left saying "Here he is ma'am, don't let him out again"!!

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