大象传媒

It was August 1940 and the school holidays had begun. On the downs to the north of Brighton and on the golf course was an army look out post.

The army had pitched a tent on Hollingbury Camp and from the tent had run a field telegraph cable to a trench about one hundred yards away.

I was 9 and my friend and I told the soldiers that we would like to help. One of them took us to the trench, showed us how to use the field telephone, gave us a pair of field glasses and a .303 rifle, that I assume was empty of ammunition, and told us we had to look out for parachutists and aeroplanes. If we saw anything we were to contact them over the telephone.

They gave each of us a hot mug of tea and a corned beef sandwich.

We spent the whole of the school holidays looking for Germans and parachutists.

We were convinced that there were spies in the area and used to ask people the time in French - we would have asked in German but no one seemed to know how to ask in that language. Our theory was that if they could answer in French then they might be a spy!

We bought a book called 'How to be a Commando'and built a hide in some nearby woods.

For a weapon we made spears with flights on them and made throwing sticks being convinced that if the worst came to the worst we would be able to defend our families from the evil Hun!

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