Memories of events before and after D-Day from my sister and myself

The D Day Landings 1944 memories from my sister and myself.

I (5yrs old) was living with my parents, and elder sister (13yrs), in a rented semi-detached house in Churchtown, Southport, Lancashire. My father was an Aircraft Engineer who had been sent from the county of Dorset to work in the Aircraft Factories around Liverpool.

Our garden backed onto the Botanic Gardens, a Park and Museum.

My parents received a visit from some officials, and the next thing we children knew was that two bunk beds and bedding (khaki blankets) was delivered, and a space in the front downstairs room, made to accommodate them.

Soon afterwards the soldiers arrived and were billeted in most of the house in our street and those around. We learnt that theirs was a Medical Corps and two Orderlys were assigned to our house. The other half of our semi detached house had been assigned a Doctor, who had a single upstairs room to himself.

The Medical Corps was based in the Museum and the soldiers spent all of their time in the Park and the Buildings attached to the museum, eating all their meals there. They often brought us things back from the PX and the canteen. They were very well behaved, polite and kind to us children, and left a favourable impression.

They disappeared with very little fuss, leaving behind their blankets, the little book on how to behave in Great Britain and a pack of cards. My sister remembers that it took three months to get rid of the smell, of the strong cigarettes they smoked, from the dining room.

My parents were very touched, after the war, to receive a parcel from one of the Orderleys who had been billited on us containing sewing material, a doll for me and some other odds and ends which I have forgotten. Contact was maintained by exchange of cards at Christmas with my parents for many years. Similarly our next door neighbours kept contact with the Doctor billeted on them and I seem to remember they visited him and his family in America after the war.

It is difficult to believe, in this day and age, that things were kept secret at the time. The phrase " Loose lips cost lives" was in the forefront of many peoples minds and dinned into us from the early days of the war.