大象传媒

This is a story from John Jones of Crowhurst, Surrey

I was 12 years old attending Merle Common School, Oxted. After morning assembly, on the6 june 1944 the head teacher called the whole school outside the school and lined us along a boundary fence of a house next to the school. The gentleman of that house opened his doors and windows. He turned his wireless up to full volume to enable the school to hear John Snagg announce that our troops had landed in France. I cannot remember exactly the words spoken but I believe that it said " an anouncement from s.h.a.ef said allied units began going ashore on the coast of northern france and have begun the liberation of europe" I did not realise the importance of what we were being told, butAbout a fortnight later, we heard strange noises in the sky which signalled the arrival of what we now call "Doodlebugs", i.e. V1 rockets. Within a short time, the whole area had hundreds of barrage baloons in the sky.which were bringing down many of the doodlebugs Two weeks later, we were evacuated to Devonshire, an experience I was very excited about -also the first the first time I wore long trousers!Allthough I missed my mother (who with my father away in the army )was left on her own after having 5 children in the house,was left on her own . I had a happy time down in devon I was nether the less very happy when we were brought home after 5 months away despite the occasional v2 rocket landing

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