- Contributed byÌý
- CSV Action Desk Leicester
- People in story:Ìý
- JUNE GOODWIN, ( NEE HARRIS)
- Location of story:Ìý
- WHISSENDINE, RUTLAND
- Background to story:Ìý
- Civilian
- Article ID:Ìý
- A8829075
- Contributed on:Ìý
- 25 January 2006
4 Searchlights and Hessian
Whissendine lies approximately 4 miles from R.A.F. Cottesmore, a key R.A.F. and U.S.A. base during the war.
Being so placed, a Searchlight Unit was based down a small lane about half a mile out of the village, this being Teigh Lane. I well remember at school we ‘helped’ this unit by threading khaki coloured strips of hessian through the camouflage nets used to cover the units. We were then invited to look around the Searchlight Unit in return for our help. Later in the war, a prisoner of war camp was established on the Stapleford Road, initially housing Italian prisoners, then replaced by German prisoners.
Several of the young Germans who did not want to fight in the first place, stayed in Whissendine. One married a local girl and still lives there.
This story was submitted to the “Peoples War Site by Rod Aldwinckle of the CSV Action Desk on behalf of JUNE GOODWIN and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the terms and conditions of the site
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