大象传媒

This story has been written onto the 大象传媒 People's War site by CSV Storygatherer Coralie on behalf of Kathleen Margaret Hill. The story has been added to the site with her permission and Kathleen fully understands the terms and conditions of the site.

It is now 1943 and we have been at war with the Germans for three and a half years, and one and a half years with the Japanese. This resulted from Japan bombing PEARL HARBOUR on December 7th 1941, and we joined up with the Americans in the FAR EAST.

It was in the spring of 1943 that the Americans "YANKS" or "GI"s (Government Issue as they were called) came to this country, and hundreds were stationed in TOTNES, SOUTH BRENT, BUCKFASTLEIGH, IVYBRIDGE and DARTINGTON HALL. I lived in PARKLANDS at TOTNES and there were 50 tents in our local park, and they held between 6 and 8 men for nearly 12 months. Their Headquarters was the local DRILL HALL right beside the park.

These young men, some only 17, 18 and 19, were quite an influence on the local people, especially the girls. They had plenty of money, cigarettes (CAMEL and LUCKY STRIKE), sweets and "candy" and the ever popular chewing gum. My friend Maureen lived in the house attached to the Drill Hall as her father was posted there in 1939, as Sgt Major of the Regiment, to look after the DRILL HALL. He eventually had to go to fight with all the rest, consequently leaving Maureen and her mother and brother in the house.

The Americans arranged dances at the DRILL HALL and all the local girls were delighted and these young men were entertained by local families. I shall never forget the lorries that used to park in our road, and every morning they went off to Slapton Sands for the D-Day landings, that was anticipated sometime in 1944. These young men joined up (volunteers) because President Roosevelt said "Your Country needs you".

It was the morning of April 28th 1944 that hundreds of these young men went off to Slapton Sands to join the marine crafts in preparation for D-Day. Unbeknown to them, German Torpedo boats attacked them and 749 men were killed. These torpedo boats used to come in very fast. I knew several of these youhg men who were killed, but one called BILL GRIFFEN survived. The American Government never recognised this tragedy at Slapton Sands for over 40 years, but we all knew the day it happened. They all went off in the morning and never came back in the night.

At Slapton Sands, Ken Small salvaged a Sherman Tank from the sea and it is a permanent monument to the Americans that were killed. Every year a remembrance service is held there, and my husband and I go. I have enclosed some photo-stat copies of the photographs taken last year at the 60th Anniversary, and this event in 1944 was called "OPERATION TIGER".

We still had lots of Americans in Totnes after the D-Day landing and in December 1944 my friend and I came down to Plymouth in a jeep with 2 other Americans to see the GLENN MILLER DANCE BAND that was appearing at the ODEON CINEMA that night. What a wonderful night that was and I will never forget it. Sadly Glenn Miller lost his life a few days later in a plane over the English Channel. His band had gone ahead of him to entertain the troops in PARIS at Christmas 1944. After the war was over we heard from several Americans, especially the ones that married local girls.

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