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A Day to Remember
My mother worked on the Ashley Rd, Parkstone during the Second World War. One day, she looked up at the sky to witness a German plane on fire. One German pilot ahad dropped out on to the road on fire. He died soon afterwards. The other pilot’s body was found in Branksome Woods. The plane continued flying out to sea to ditch in the Channel

GI children’s Party
My mother would often tell me about this incident during the Second World War:
One day, while one of my brothers was playing at home aged (4); there was a knock at the door. My mother answered it to find a black American Sergeant standing there. He then said that there is going to be a party in Bournemouth for all the local children and asked whether any of her children care to come. She hesitated for a moment, but was assured that all the children would have the time of their lives. She let Bob, one of my brothers go. He is now 65 years old! He was put on board a big American truck and driven away.
At about 6pm the same afternoon, the same big truck rolled up, filled with dozens of children, pockets filled with sweets. My mother burst out laughing when she opened the door to see my brother running up the path with pockets full of sweets and chocolate all over his laughing face. The sergeant also came up the path to tell my mother that her son had had the time of his life because as he had long black curly hair, all the American soldiers had nicknamed him ‘Pretty Boy’. Then the truck rolled away to deliver home some very happy children.

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