- Contributed by听
- Brian Jones
- People in story:听
- Brian and David Jones
- Location of story:听
- Applemore Hill, Dibden, Hants
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A4124846
- Contributed on:听
- 27 May 2005
When I was at the ripe old age of 4 years I came close to becoming toast during an army training event which took place in what was our playground.
My younger brother and I used the gorse bushes at the edge of the New Forest near to our home as a sort of maze cum den. Normal and safe country activity for small boys! That is to say it was until the day that an unknown infantry unit decided to use our gorse bushes for a bit of practice with flame thowers!
The first we knew of this was when we heard the roar of the flame thrower followed by a rapidly expanding fire bearing down on us.
Fortunately for us our escape route was away from the fire and we were 'out of there' very rapidly - unharmed. Gorse bushes have a special memory ever since.
This event took place on a lovely sunny day at the beginning of June 1944. This time being etched in the mind following the immediately subsequent spectacle of the sky overhead being filled with hundreds of aircraft heading for France.
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