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At 6.00am 60 years ago today (May 05), we were on stand to near Bremen. The Germans always started their attack at daybreak, so we always got up an hour before daybreak, in anticipation and were on stand to until an hour after daybreak everyday. However, this particular morning the officers came round with glasses of champagne for us. We wondered what they were coming out for. They told us there was a ceasefire. It was like having a great lintel lifted off our shoulders — such a relief. We still carried on as normal that day though, prepared for further action from the Germans.

After the war we stayed in Germany, carrying out all kinds of duties such as checking refugee camps etc. At one point we went to a prisoner of war camp at Westertimke. We were on guard duties and went to a concentration camp near Hamburg. It was a bitterly cold morning - the ground was hard with frost and we were absolutely frozen. When we arrived we were taken inside and given a cup of tea which was very welcome! I specifically remember from my time there, the image of the prisoners that had died from their suffering during the war being carried out in coffins.

Another duty was taking 16 prisoners to a shower block about ¼ mile from camp. One of the internees spoke to me. It turned out he was an English man married to a German girl & was a farmer in Germany. The people who had imprisoned him did not believe what he told them.

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