大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Elizabeth Perez of Stockport Libraries on behalf of Edna Stafford and has been added to the site with her husband Bill Stafford's permission. Bill Stafford fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

"May the 24th 1945 was a day of activity. We were up very early complete with kit bags etc. and sitting in a convoy on the road to the airport bound for Germany. We were all thrilled at going into Germany as we were wondering what it would be like. The flight took about two hours, travelling over woodland country and passing in between hills and valleys. It was a bumpy journey and although none of us was actually ill, we were all thankful when we touched down at Frankfurt. Towards the end of the flight our interest was taken up by the aerial view we had of the damage caused by our own aircraft on their bombing raids. It was amazing that anyone could still live in such surroundings and rubble.

Frankfurt, I understand, is the third largest city in Germany and we could imagine what sort of place it must have been. Strangely enough a number of buildings were still standing amongst them being the I.G.Farben building, which was a lovely building and had been commandeered by General Eisenhower and A.C.M. Tedder. It was really a magnificent building being erected in marble, standing in beautiful grounds with an adjoining park. There were 2,000 rooms spread over six floors. The main entrance guarded by two American M.Ps. led to a spacious hallway. A flight of marble steps ran up at either side of the hall to the first floor, and there were even hydrangeas of various colours decorating the place.

Our billets, that is to say the British ones, were separated from the W.A.Cs. because they had theirs on the other side of the block. We were in civilian flats, which showed some signs of having been beautifully furnished at one time, some still had sideboards, beds and divans left in them. We were allocated our respective flats and five of us shared one flat. The outer room was shared by Elsie, our Scots friend Chris and myself, and this overlooked the main road. Our other two friends occupied the inner room overlooking the rear gardens. Each flat contained a bathroom with hot and cold water. The whole area of the camp was surrounded with barbed wire, and I was told that the perimeter was 8 miles. We were not allowed outside this "fencing" unless with an armed escort. It has its amusing side as some of the men soon made up appropriate rhymes when having to meet girlfriends, armed with a gun.

Gradually S.H.A.E.F. began to dismantle, but until then we all made the most of the situation by visiting places of interest. Officers and men were posted either to another Station on the Continent, or if so desired back to the U.K. When I first began working for the Intelligence Officer, the office staff consisted of 3 American rankers, one Major, 1 airman and five R.A.F. Officers. Now this strength had dwindled down to 2 R.A.F. Officers and the American Major, the other Americans having returned to their own country. The weeks passed until there were very few British personnel left in the camp, as orders had been received for it to be an entirely American camp. The numbers dropped until there were only 3 W.A.A.Fs. left, and eventually we departed from Frankfurt on V.J. Day in August 1945.

Whilst at Frankfurt we had the opportunity of visiting many places. Amongst those on my particular list, was Heidelburg (home of the musicians, with its beautiful castle as the centre of attraction),Wiesbaden, Cologne, Offenbach (noted for the making of leather goods). I was often taken to this factory and sent home one or two lovely leather bags, and shoes. I also visited Greisheim and Bad Koneberg. At Bad Koneberg there was a very large open air swimming pool and some of us went there for a few hours. Amongst other places that were visited during my stay in Germany were Dusseldorf, Bad Harzburg in the Harz mountains, Essen, Bad Geynhausen, Minden, Bad Eilsen, Buckeburg, Hamburg, Hannover, Wesel and Kessel.

From Frankfurt my next Station was at Bad Eilsen, which was very picturesque with lovely gardens and a stream running through it. As I've said, I arrived on V.J. Day. We were billeted in a German house about 100 yards or so up the side of a hill, with dense woods lying behind it. It was a lovely spot and we had a wonderful view as we could see the hills around for many miles. Nearby was the local railway station and about two miles down the road, there was another town called Buckeburg.

The person in charge of us was a W.A.A.F. Sgt who was Czechoslovakian, to us she appeared as a "motherly" sort of person and welcomed us to our fresh "digs". When I first saw her she was not in uniform and I thought she was the owner of the house. I therefore received quite a surprise when she later knocked on the bedroom door an hour or so later dressed as a W.A.A.F. Sergeant. Towards the coming of Christmas 1945 she organised a Children's party and later on the children attended her Sunday School classes, for as can be imagined, she spoke German like a native. Emily, as was her name, will always be connected with the billets at Bad Eilsen. During the remaining summer weeks, we had little tea parties in the gardens adjoining the house. Apart from the work she did to make life pleasant for the children, she helped me a great deal when I married as I was married in the Garrison Church at Buckeburg, with I recall, most of the German townsfolk looking on."

Sadly Edna Stafford passed away on 22 February 2004. Her husband, Bill, has requested that no further messages are left in response to her stories.

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