大象传媒

Mr N Collier is willing to have his story entered onto the People's War website and agrees to abide by the House Rules.

The coverage of World War 2 memories - Spotlight 6th June involved memories of my visits by bicycle to the US Naval Air Base 'Fleet Air Arm Wing Seven' at Dunkeswell, devon in the Blackdown Hills in 1944/45.

As a fourteen year old aircraft enthiusiast my friend and I would cycle the 17 miles from Sidmouth to watch the B24 Liberators and Catalina amphibians take off on their daily anti-submarine patrols in the western approaches and the Bay of Biscay. Consequently the US Navy Personnel would become very friendly to the locals and us boys alike. Many times we were invited into their PX (US NAFFI) and be treated to ice cream, marshmallows and Coca Cola. We also managed to transport home on our bikes early editions of comics such as Batman and Superman and a weekly called 'Yank' the army weekly which I think was published by Wheatons in Exeter for all us armed forces in the UK.

I have pleasure to enclose a photocopy No 1 of the Base newspaper 'The Mudsville Mudslinger' named because of the harsh conditions when the Base first opened. This was a condition subsequently improved upon when summer arrived.

Your programme featuring that lady that met Jou-Louis, famous boxer of the time, at the front door has prompted me to send this photocopy for your records. The original will be handed over to the Dunkeswall Memorial museum for prosterity next month when I shall be in Sidmouth.

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