Greeting Soldiers Returning from Dunkirk

The contributor's mother, Elizabeth Jane Box, was born in 1928. Elizabeth was a child growing up during the war. She remembered the radio broadcast that announced the start of the war. Elizabeth found the war exciting in many ways; she lived beside the small village of Shamley Green in Surrey. Her father was a solicitor in London.

During the Dunkirk evacuation, Elizabeth's mother, Lilian Box, was involved in the Women's Institute (WI). Elizabeth Jane painted a picture of the troops returning on ships from Dunkirk. There were train loads of troops coming back into the UK. Elizabeth Jane and her mother went to the train station with the WI to bring the soldiers food, towels, shaving gear, etc. In amongst the British troops was a French soldier, Henri Haquin. Henry gave Elizabeth's mum a card and asked her to write to his daughter Marie Helene, who was 11 years old. Lilian wrote to the daughter. They never heard back from Marie, but never forgot the story. Elizabeth has tried hard to trace the French family with no success.

Elizabeth Jane and her sister also found a butterfly bomb while out cycling. They picked the butterfly bomb up and took it to the police. Their mother gave them a terrible row.