- Contributed by听
- Stockport Libraries
- People in story:听
- Gordon Sharrard
- Location of story:听
- London
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A4648999
- Contributed on:听
- 01 August 2005
This story was submitted to the People's War Website by Pam MacLaren, a volunteer for 大象传媒 GMR, on behalf of Gordon Sharrard and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
After VE Day, when it was safer, our school which was Westminster School, was moved back to London. My home during the war was Lincoln, but when we returned, we found our school in ruins and burnt out. The scholars couldn鈥檛 be put in dormitories. We were housed in houses around Little Dean's Yard.
The Churchill Club (a social club for important people) occupied Ashburnham House, and I often met people involved in running the war in the school library. As a senior boy I had more freedom and was allowed entry to places in Westminster, and was able to watch proceedings in the House of Commons and hear debates, so I saw a number of well known people, e.g. Churchill, Eden, and MacMillan. I was shocked by the casual behaviour in the House of Commons.
The earliest example of international activity of the United Nations took place at Church House. Every country sent an ambassador to meetings there, which went on through the night for several days.
So now moving on to VJ night in Parliament Square. There was a stand there and we sat there and watched the VJ Parade. The crowds were massive and to get to Trafalgar Square, we needed to use enterprise to proceed without hindrance up Whitehall. We got two yards behind two very dirty and smelly tramps! So the crowd parted to let them through and that is how we got all the way up Whitehall. The boy that led us was called Crispin Tickell. He was later knighted as ambassador of Mexico.
漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.
Recommended story
Story with photo