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A MEMORY OF D-DAY

This is Ken Woodman’s story: it was dictated to Kathy Collard-Berry at the Fernhurst Centre at its D-Day Celebrations on 5 June 2004. The story has been added by Pauline Colcutt (on behalf of the Fernhurst Centre) with permission from the author who understands the terms and conditions of adding his story to the website.

I was 10 years’ old, my father was in Italy with the army, and I lived with my mother, two brothers and grandfather at No 2 High Lane, Haslemere. Following a children’s illness, I was convalescing in Fernhurst with my mother and brothers in a small cottage off the Midhurst road. I do not remember the address, but it was at the back of a common on the right-hand side of the road heading towards Midhurst and was just past a farm on the left-hand side of the road. The cottage was very small, two bedrooms, with no mains services at all (water, sewerage, gas or electricity). Whilst we were staying there, the common was suddenly taken over by the army, Canadian I think. They were under canvas so obviously temporary. What I remember most was the way live ammunition was left lying around. My youngest brother actually picked up a grenade. I was old enough to realize what it was and was able to take it off him before any harm was done. It was not until much later that I realized the significance of this camp.

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