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Memories of GI’s at their Base Camp

I was one of the many girls in this area who had GI boyfriends and we all had some unforgettable times. Dancing was our main pastime and the dancers were held mainly in camp so of course trucks were sent round the villages to collect and return the girls. At many dances we have jived, waltz, etc. to the music of Glen Miller. One thing that stands out in my mind were the lovely refreshments at the camp dances. Wonderful cream cakes, friend chicken, sausage rolls and other deliciously which we on our wartime rations did not see very often. So we went prepared with paper bags and a large handbag to take some home with us to give the rest of the family a treat.

We had a little boy in our village who could not speak very well, whenever a GI passed by, the boy would shout out ‘any chocolate, any candy, any gum, or any cugar knogs (sugar knobs). The sugar knobs were a good substitute for sweets and chocolate.

We often visited the wounded GI’s in Bradwell Grove Hospital and many times we queued in the ‘chow’ line, looking over the assortment of food and wondering what to choose as some of the concoctions did not look very appetising. One GI who was a friend of the family loved to eat at our house, 3 reasons being:
my mother’s Sunday Roast,
home made rice pudding and
field mushrooms.

By Jean Townsend (Norridge)

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