Another perspective on D Day.
I was drafted in 1956.
In 1958, I went on leave to London, went to the end of a subway line, and visited a friend in the Airforce. I stayed too later, and the subway was closed for the night..No problem, I just walked to the nearby major highway, and extended my thumb. a very large lorry stopped, and gave me a ride. The driver was my age.
I was dressed completely in civilian clothes, and it was the end of the summer tourist season, he assumed that I was a tourist. He asked where I was going. Cumberland hotel, near Marble Arch. Sorry, cant got here, heavy trucks are not allowed in that part of London. No problem, just let me out when you are close, and point me the right direction.
The conversation drifted to the London Blitz, nights of terror bombings. He described going from school to the subway station nearest home, receiving a sandwich and carton of milk and sitting against the wall eating that supper, then doing his homework until his parents joined him.
When the bombing ended, and all clear sounded, they left the subway, and went to see if they still had a home.
He asked me how long I had been in England, vacationing, and it came out that I was on Army leave.
He then described the fear of the impending German invasion, and then the appearance of American soldiers on the streets of London, and realizing that if we were there, there could be no successful invasion. Freedom was assured!
A while later, he stopped, and announced we were in front of my hotel!
But you might get a ticket!
There is not a policeman young enough to have missed the Blitz, I will just tell him I delivered a Soldier home. He will thank me for doing so. We all remember.
Another memory of back then, 68 years ago, still vivid!
I was drafted in 1956.
In 1958, I went on leave to London, went to the end of a subway line, and visited a friend in the Airforce. I stayed too later, and the subway was closed for the night..No problem, I just walked to the nearby major highway, and extended my thumb. a very large lorry stopped, and gave me a ride. The driver was my age.
I was dressed completely in civilian clothes, and it was the end of the summer tourist season, he assumed that I was a tourist. He asked where I was going. Cumberland hotel, near Marble Arch. Sorry, cant got here, heavy trucks are not allowed in that part of London. No problem, just let me out when you are close, and point me the right direction.
The conversation drifted to the London Blitz, nights of terror bombings. He described going from school to the subway station nearest home, receiving a sandwich and carton of milk and sitting against the wall eating that supper, then doing his homework until his parents joined him.
When the bombing ended, and all clear sounded, they left the subway, and went to see if they still had a home.
He asked me how long I had been in England, vacationing, and it came out that I was on Army leave.
He then described the fear of the impending German invasion, and then the appearance of American soldiers on the streets of London, and realizing that if we were there, there could be no successful invasion. Freedom was assured!
A while later, he stopped, and announced we were in front of my hotel!
But you might get a ticket!
There is not a policeman young enough to have missed the Blitz, I will just tell him I delivered a Soldier home. He will thank me for doing so. We all remember.
Another memory of back then, 68 years ago, still vivid!
