大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Sue Smith on behalf of Mr. Alistair Donald and has been added to the site with his permission. Mr. Donald fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

During the war I served with the Royal Marines. On D Day I was training on landing craft at Burnham on Crouch on the East Coast, and we were completely unaware of the events unfolding on the South Coast until we heard it on the service radio. We were training with the Americans and had stopped at a caf茅 for coffee and doughnuts, a particular favourite of the American troops. I was talking to an American officer about weapons when he said, 鈥淗ave you ever seen one of our 45鈥檚?鈥� to which I replied 鈥淣o鈥�.
鈥淪ay Joe, go across and get my 45. You know my jeep don鈥檛 you, the one with the funny horn鈥�, he said to one of his junior soldiers. The sight of a jeep being driven up with a klaxon horn blaring compounded my amazement that an officer should speak in such a casual manner.
鈥淒o you like the horn?鈥� he laughed. 鈥淚 saw it on a London cab and bought it off the driver. Good eh?鈥�
This small incident has remained in my memory to this day, as it typified the contrasting attitude towards rank of the two armies.

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