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Disclaimer: This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Alice Deane from the Folkestone School for Girls and has been added to the website on behalf of Rosemary Simpson with her permission and she fully understands the site’s terms and conditions

Age when War broke out — 9

Rosemary was born in London, but moved to France with her family when she was one month old, and she spent the entirety of the war in France. She began the war living in the Loire Valley, 300 miles outside Paris, in the hunting lodge of one of many châteaux’s in the area. The Germans arrived in the area early morning, but Rosemary and her family were already up, and she watched them arrive. Although their arrival had been expected, Rosemary had been surprised by the numbers of tanks and horses, and wondered how they acquired so many horses. The Germans immediately took over the châteaux and the family’s hunting lodge, installing officers into their home. Although the family were allowed to keep a few rooms to themselves, though they were forced to share beds.
One officer that Rosemary particularly remembers was one who adored flowers. Rosemary’s family had a large green house where they kept many flowers, and the officer insisted on have a bed installed in the green house so he could sleep among the flowers.
As the family was English (both Rosemary’s parent were English) they should have been arrested, but they were not taken away immediately, as many others were, because her father spoke perfect French, and the Germans didn’t find out for a while. Rosemary’s father was also fluent in German, though he didn’t let his on, so he was able to listen to the Germans conversations without them knowing, which came in useful!

Rosemary was born in London but moved to France when she was one month old, and she spent the entirety of the war in France. She began the war living in the Loire Valley, 300 miles outside Paris, in the hunting lodge of one of many châteaux’s in the area. The Germans arrived in the area soon after the invasion of France, and my parents should have been arrested immediately as they were English. They were not, however, for two week, as my father spoke French perfectly, so our nationality was not immediately revealed.
The day the Germans came for my father I remembers he had a kidney infection that he was just beginning to recover from. They arrived in the afternoon and put him on a truck with other English men, and took him away. I cried openly on the front of the house.
My mother, brother and myself were also arrested, but were released as we children were both under 14 at the time. The German actually arrived at our house to take my brother away two weeks after my father was arrested, but my mother quickly explained that he was only seven, and they left.
My father was first taken to Tourse (prison) then to a camp named Montneuil Belay. There, my mother and I managed to visit him, thanks to the help of a worker at the camp. It was father’s job buy food for the camp, as he could act as an interpreter between the French shopkeepers and the German officers, as he was fluent in both languages.

By the time France was liberated, I was living in a mill with my family. My father had been released from a prison in Paris as he was proved to be part Irish, which, as Ireland was a neutral country, this qualified him for release.
I remember first hearing some noise and going to stand outside at the end of my road. I then recall seeing Canadians, followed by Americans, who were shocked to find English speakers in the middle of France. All the soldiers wanted were fresh fruit and vegetables, after travelling for months only living on canned meat and dried food. My parents set up a deal with the soldiers, that they would exchange fresh fruit for tobacco and cigarettes which my parents had not been able to get hold of for a while.
When the time came for my family to return to England there were difficulties coming into the country, as we were the first French civilians to return to England after the war. We were held up a customs because the authorities were searching for French female spies, and when we were finally released people stared at them because of their peculiar shoes!

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