- Contributed by听
- csvdevon
- People in story:听
- John
- Location of story:听
- South Hams Area
- Background to story:听
- Civilian Force
- Article ID:听
- A5668347
- Contributed on:听
- 10 September 2005
These are my uncles memories, He told me about the time when he was a young boy, his Father was the Coastguard down at Salcombe. and he lived at Affton Gifford, and he and his friends would climb up to the top of the hills over looking the end part of Slapton Sands ,and although they werent supposed to do this, they were able to lay flat down and see the soldiers on the beach, they were american soldiers, the people of the village of Slapton were all evacuated so as the Army could practice for the war,and he told me that some of the soldiers actually thought they were in France. there was always a lot of noise of shouting etc., and one day when they were watching they saw a german boat sail in close to the shore and fire at the men on the beach, and that when they saw this they slid backwards down the hill a little and ran home and never went up there again, they werent able to tell the parents,as they would have gotton into trouble for being somewhere they shouldnt have.
My father johns brother, was a carpenter tradesman and he wanted to join the navy,but he wasnt allowed to, as he was working in the Dockyard in Plymouth, and was in a closed occupation, so he joined the Home Guard, and my mother told me she used to stand on the top of Haldon Hills and watch Plymouth Burning. she was living in Teignmouth at the time.
I have no information on my Dads life in the Home Guard. How sad that as children we never asked any questions. If anyone knows anything about the homeguard i hope they will write and tell me,
漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.