The Yanks Are Here

Part 9

The one thing that was always firmly in my mind as a child was that we were going to win the war because we were the goodies, and they the Nazis were the baddies, my farther was going to come home from the prisoner of war camp and things were going to get better. Well all of this did happen except for things getting better, when we would go the cinema and watched the news and in spite of the propaganda we were fed; I couldn’t help but think we were getting the worst end of the argument. Listening to Vera Lynn sing all those wartime songs like “There’ll Be Bluebirds Over The White Cliffs O Dover”, it made me think of a time after the war when things would be so much better because we were having it so hard at that time. I thought that because people were putting up with so much hardship and shortages, that when the war ended all of the spirit of the time would see this country just get better and better. However I was wrong people just seemed to gradually turn into a different species of human, not straight away but over a period of time right up to the present. One of the songs Vera Lynn sang was “When The Lights Go On Again All Over The World”, this made me think peace an harmony were going to reign forever; young simple minds eh. There was always aircraft in the skies overhead, mostly fighter planes and most probably going to intercept the enemy or some other task that was needed; every boy wanted to be in the R A F and flying Spitfires or Hurricanes. It wasn’t until towards the end of the war that we saw bombers flying in groups or squadrons, although they did fly in smaller numbers in day time they mostly flew at night.When the Americans came into the war they flew in daylight with there Flying Fortresses, I had a model made for me which I got on Christmas that year. Whatever people might say about the Americans we were glad to see them and have them on our side, they certainly gave us more confidence to see the war through to the end. I as a child in those war years I liked everything about the Americans, I liked their uniforms their easy going manner their friendliness, and so did the young women which certainly led to resentment from the men in this country. The Americans seemed to have pots of money whereas our soldiers had very little, the Yanks were a novelty to the women and there was a shortage of men folk here; the majority of our men were at war in other parts of the world. What women would do for a pair of fully fashioned silk stockings or nylons and a packet of Pall Mall cigarettes, their morals being questionable? As I have said earlier the gossip among women at that time was who was carrying on with who, yes a lot of it went on then I used to listen to my Grandmother talking with her friends and neighbours, I would be playing with a toy or something on the floor; then there would come “Quiet ears is listening” meaning me of course.