大象传媒

The next morning, we got ready, and my brother was younger and in the pram, and we walked from the Bas Courtils into town to see the boats and to see the liberating forces. We walked all the way past the Villiaize and came out at the Chene, and walked along the Forest Road. But when we came along the Forest Road, more or less where Forest Road Garage is now, we met a troop of army people and soldiers, and I was really frightened because I knew instinctively they were different. We鈥檇 been used to the German uniforms, but I鈥檇 never seen a British soldier before, and I was frightened. And not only that, I was even more frightened when they actually stopped and spoke to my parents, because a lot of these soldiers were Guernsey people, and they were really on their way up to the airport, and they wanted to know the news. They were asking my father, 鈥淚s so and so all right?鈥�, or 鈥淚s Auntie May all right?鈥�, or whoever.

I was worried because I鈥檇 never seen my parents stop to talk to troops before. They鈥檇 never really had long conversations with the German soldiers, and to see British soldiers in their khaki uniforms, well, something I鈥檇 never seen before. So they spoke to them, and then they carried on, and we carried on walking into town. When we got by the Town Church, we watched the troops coming up, and they were marching and they were throwing chewing gum. They probably threw other things, but it was chewing gum that my father caught. I remember distinctly putting it in my mouth and swallowing it, and being told that that was not what you did with chewing gum; you had to chew it. I never liked it then, and I still don鈥檛 like it now! But I do remember, and in fact I could even show you the spot where we stood, my father put me on his shoulders so that I could have a better view.
MARGARET LE CRAS

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