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This story has been written onto the ´óÏó´«Ã½ People’s War site by CSV Storygatherer, Martine Knight, on behalf of Dorothy Barnicoat. They fully understand the terms and conditions of the site.

My most vivid memory of the war was the evacuation of Dunkirk.
There were so many boats of all shapes and sizes, laden with our lads, in Falmouth harbour that you could almost walk across without getting your feet wet!

The soldiers were brought up to the Recreation Ground for respite and recovery. My Dad went up to bring some of them home to bathe their feet, have a meal or even a soft bed to sleep in if they wanted.

He came back with three of them. Two wanted especially to bathe their feet and the third lad had only come on the understanding that we had a piano!

He hardly spoke a word — I don’t even remember that he told us his name — but he sat down and played for 2 to 3 hours whilst we sat around enthralled as he was a brilliant pianist.

When he finished playing he couldn’t thank my Mum & Dad enough — he said that a piano was the only thing that would help him to unwind and relax.
He wouldn’t stay any longer as he had a few thousand cigarettes in his kitbag!

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