大象传媒

The 鈥楺ueen Bee鈥�

Edited and typed by Louise Collier

The summer of 1939, saw my family on holiday at Cromer in Norfolk.

I was learning German at Hymers College, in Hull and was very pleased to be told by the Hotel Manageress, that the people at the next table were a German couple. At dinner that evening, I wasted no time in practising my abilities. I was somewhat taken aback when they showed no interest. I noticed that they did not come down to breakfast the next morning and upon inquiry, I was told that they would be having their meals in their room. I was disappointed, in fact I took an immediate disliking to them. I mentioned this to another boy in the hotel and we decided that perhaps they were spies鈥�. So we planned to follow them, which we did.

They walked along the cliffs northwards towards Sheringham. We were interested in watching a small aeroplane, flying up and down the coastline and so were the two Germans鈥�. When it came nearby, they dropped to the ground and watched it through field glasses and appeared to photograph it.

That night at dinner, two ladies鈥� and two gentleman at another table asked us what we had been doing that day. I told them with great enthusiasm, what we had seen and everyone laughed.

A few days later we had to dash home and I was evacuated to Pocklington School, near York. A few weeks later I received a letter from R.A.F. Cranwell, written by a man called Beechfield Carver, Bandmaster of the R.A.F. He assured me that the war would soon be over and I would be re-united with my family again. He finished his letter by casually saying:- 鈥渂y the way, we caught your spies at Dover鈥�. Apparently after hearing our story, he rang the R.A.F. Police who shadowed the couple until they arrived at Dover. The little plane which interested them was the 鈥楺ueen Bee鈥�, a pilot-less plane which was being operated from Weybourne, an airfield north of Sheringham.

So you see, learning some German can be useful. No, the war was not over quickly, we soon experienced the terrible bombing raids on Hull.

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