´óÏó´«Ã½

The Expeditionary Force plus 150,000 refugees arrived unannounced in June 1940. The military camps filled with units preparing to join the battle for France so there was nowhere to put over ½ million men of the men who had flooded back in June.

Bill Harvey’s Company, like so many around the country, was re-established in private houses. ‘I was one of the first to find a billet. I found myself with a family of Steeplejacks by the name of Tomlinson who lived in Dib Lane, Leeds. They were very good to us. Military activity seemed to be standing guard at the Main GPO and examining staff passes as they went on duty. I found it slightly irritating as it was obvious that it was just a duty to keep us occupied’.

‘Dib Lane was the Company’s home in the Autumn of 1940. We resumed the hut-building we had been doing in France. We built a camp in Roundhay Park, north of Leeds.

‘The experiences of France had taught us to live for the moment. I joined the exodus to Doncaster for weekend leave with their families and loved ones. Oh what a joy it was to see Edith, Janet and Billie, although every time it re-opened all the worries of the family welfare. But it was worth it.

‘Our Staff Sergeant from the south was able to move his wife into his digs. Landladies were very understanding and my boss, Alan Jones’, was able to accommodate weekend visits from Manchester of his new love, Kathleen. They had met just before we went to France in September 39 and she had left art college to do war work, on aircraft radios I believe.’

This story was submitted to the people’s War site by a volunteer from CSV Oxford on behalf of the late Bill Harvey. It is a transcript of his own diary and several interviews. He gave written permission for the material to be edited and published.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.