大象传媒

"This story was submitted to the People's War site by CSV/大象传媒 Radio Nottingham on behalf of Eric Middleton with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions"

EARLY IN 1945 WE MOVED TO AMIENS WHERE WE WERE BILLETED IN A NUNNERY, THE NUNS OCCUPYING THE GROUND FLOOR WHILST WE SHARED THE UPPER FLOOR WITH A MILITARY POLICE UNIT. I REMEMBER VERY LITTLE ABOUT IT SAVE HEARING BELLS RINGING FOR PRAYERS VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING AND NOTING THAT THE BATHS WERE ALL DOUBLE ENDED FOR TWO PERSONS.
FROM HERE WE MOVED TO ONZAIN ST. AUBIN, NEAR ARRAS, WHERE WE WERE BILLETED IN A SMALL MODERN CHATEAU WHICH HAD BEEN USED BY THE GERMANS.
ONE DAY WHILST WE WERE THERE I HEARD THAT THERE WAS TO BE A DANCE IN A BAR IN A NEIGHBOURING VILLAGE. HALF A DOZEN OR SO OF US WENT ALONG. IN THE BAR WERE TWENTY OR MORE FRENCH COUPLES AND A NUMBER OF FRENCH TEENAGE GIRLS.
I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED TO SEE UNCHAPERONED GIRLS OF THAT AGE AS I HAD VISITED FRANCE BEFORE THE WAR AND HAD FOUND THAT WELL BRED GIRLS WERE RARELY LET OUT ALONE. I WENT UP TO A SMALL GROUP OF THEM AND SAID "BON SOIR MAM'SELLES" AND TO ONE IN PARTICULAR I SAID "ON DANCE MAM'SELLE?" WE DANCED ALTHOUGH ARMY BOOTS ARE NOT THE BEST OF FOOTWEAR FOR DANCING AND RETURNED TO THE GROUP WHERE WE CHATTED. I LEARNED THAT MY PARTNER WAS STAYING WITH A FRIEND WHO WENT TO THE LOCAL SCHOOL. WE WERE TALKING IN A MIXTURE OF FRENCH AND ENGLISH AND THE FRIEND BECAME QUITE ANNOYED. "CE WEST PAS JUSTE!" SHE SAID. "LA SEULE FILLE PARMI NOUS QUI PARLE ANGLAIS ET AVEC LE SEUL SOLDAT QUI PARLE FRANCAIS; CE WEST PAS JUSTE!"
I ASKED MY PARTNER IF I COULD SEE HER AGAIN AND SHE SAID THAT HER PARENTS WERE COMING TO TAKE HER HOME TO ARRAS THE NEXT DAY. THERE WAS TO BE AN EXHIBITION OF ART AT THE LOCAL SCHOOL AND IF I WENT TO IT SHE WOULD INTRODUCE ME AS A FRIEND OF HER FRIEND'S. ON NO ACCOUNT WAS I TO SAY THAT SHE HAD BEEN IN A BAR FOR IF HER FATHER DISCOVERED THAT HE WOULD NEVER LET ME SEE - HER AGAIN. IT WOULD SEEM THAT HER PARENTS WERE MUCH MORE STRICT THAN WERE THE PARENTS OF HER FRIEND! I WAS DULY INTRODUCED AND HER FATHER QUIZZED ME ABOUT WHAT I DID IN CIVVY STREET. IT WOULD SEEM THAT MY ANSWERS WERE SATISFACTORY FOR I WAS GIVEN PERMISSION TO VISIT THE FAMILY AT THEIR HOME. THIS TURNED OUT TO BE ARRAS SAVINGS BANK.
SHORTLY AFTER THIS WE MOVED INTO THE BARRACKS OF THE GARDE MOBILE IN ARRAS AND I VISITED THE FAMILY QUITE FREQUENTLY. SHE HAD TWO YOUNGER SISTERS AND WE SOMETIMES PLAYED TABLE TENNIS ON THE BOARDROOM TABLE OR LUDO IN
THE GARDEN. SHE SAID THAT SHE WOULD BE MY MARRAINE DE GUERRE AND WOULD WRITE TO ME WHEN I HAD TO MOVE ON.

MY FRIEND'S OLDER BROTHER HAD MET WITH A TRAGIC DEATH. AFTER THE INVASION HE WAS SENT TO CENTRAL FRANCE TO BE OUT OF THE WAY OF THE FIGHTING AS IT WAS THOUGHT THAT THE GERMANS MIGHT TAKE THEIR REVENGE ON YOUNG MEN OF MILITARY AGE. AFTER ARRAS WAS LIBERATED WORD GOT THROUGH TO HIS FATHER THAT HIS SON WAS SUFFERING FROM ACUTE APPENDICITIS AND NEEDED AN URGENT OPERATION. THE SURGEONS WOULD NOT OPERATE WITHOUT THE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF HIS PARENTS AND, OF COURSE, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEND THIS TO OCCUPIED FRANCE. THE RESULT WAS THAT HE CONTRACTED PERETONITIS AND DIED.
OUR FRIENDSHIP HAS LASTED FOR OVER SIXTY YEARS AND OUR FAMILIES HAVE VISITED EACH OTHER MANY TIMES. WHEN ANY OF MY FRIEND'S CHILDREN CAME TO STAY WITH US A NOTE WAS ALWAYS PROVIDED TO SAY THAT THE PARENTS AGREED TO ANY TREATMENT A DOCTOR OR SURGEON DEEMED NECESSARY.
WHEN MY FRIEND'S FATHER DIED I NOTICED THAT HE WAS A CHEVALIER DE LA LEGION D'HONNEUR.

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