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This story has been written onto the ´óÏó´«Ã½ People’s War site by Cornwall CSV Storygatherer, Martine Knight, on behalf of Colin Browne. His story was given to the Trebah WW2 Video Archive, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2004. The Trebah Garden Trust understands the terms and conditions of the site.

In 1943, at the age of 15, I came, from Wallington in Surrey, to Porthleven when my mother bought a property there.

I met some of the American 29th Infantry, who were billeted at the Tye Rock Hotel. They had regular machine gun practice, out to sea, just off the beach. I belonged to the Cadet Force and got the last rifle, which only fired American ammunition. All the others had .303’s so I couldn’t practice with blanks. Instead I went to the Americans and got the real thing! It was great for a youngster.
The Americans had a total disregard for security and their guns and ammo were all on display and offered around.
As a regular scrounger I met Sgt. Miller. He took part in the Omaha Beach landings. He got through that unscathed, but was badly wounded about three months later and returned to the US. He returned to Porthleven in later years and stayed as a guest at Tye Rock. I’ve still got a copy of the letter he wrote thanking them for their hospitality and relating his experiences in France.

The American 5th Rangers, who I believe, were involved in scaling near sheer cliffs at Point Hock to disable German guns, were stationed at the Angel Hotel in Helston.
I often went to Falmouth to see the harbour full of the invasion craft. It was strange when they all disappeared for D-Day.

Local girls were delighted when the Americans arrived. They brought a new way of dancing and were very generous to local people. Some local young men had their noses put out of joint as they didn’t seem so glamorous compared to the Americans, who often brought their own juke boxes to dances.

VIDEO DETAILS — HELSTON 08:17:10 — 08:39:25

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