大象传媒

I am entering this story on behalf of William Pye. My most memorable day during the war was surprisingly a very happy one. As a 19 year old I was of course a big fan of all the dance bands of the era. Imagine my delight in getting a leave in December 1944 to a snow covered Paris to find myself at a concert given by that wonderful army/navy band formed by Glenn Miller. After the concert a pal and I went to the N.A.A.F.I and sitting at the next table to us was a man who turned out to be Sgt. Major Hollis of the Green Howards. The only man to win the V.C on D.Day. We shook hands and congratulated him. A most memorable day.

A big surprise awaited us one day when we were working in the grounds of this hotel in Versailles. About six of us were digging a shallow trench at the edge of a lawnto bury some cables which we were to lead into the building. Round this corner came a posse of top military brass, about 20 to 30 in number, headed by Generals Eisenhower and Montgomery and Generals galore. We all shot bolt upright and saluted. "Carry on boys" said Eisenhower and on into the building they went. We didn't know at the time but the hotel was the Trianon which was to be the first HQ in France.

In Normandy, before the break out, there were six of us living in a small tent in an apple orchard. We were laying a network of cables for field telephones. One night, early morning actually, we had to go out and find and repair a fault on a line. We were returning after doing the repair when our lorry stopped and we picked up two American soldiers. After chatting for a while this souther drawl of a voice asked me "Are you from Cumberland?" as we were then. "Yes" I said. "How did you know that?" He said "When I was in England I used to stay with an aunt and uncle who live in Maryport." A town about 16 miles from where I lived. In todays parlance- I was gobsmacked.

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