From: Pete
Date: Thursday, February 17, 2005
I was a child of 5 years old during 1943 when our world changed. Our quiet country village suddenly seemed to be the centre of the war when the 40th Signal Construction Battalion were billeted in the grounds of Eynsham Hall, North Leigh, Oxfordshire.
We hadn't seen any coloured people, let alone troops before, but I think we were colour blind. Us kids quickly learnt to ask "Got any gum chum?" and we were usually rewarded. I recall some of the local folks doing laundry for the soldiers and being rewarded with bags of oranges and other goodies—we had hardly ever seen an orange due to war shortages.
I remember being given rides in open jeeps which seemed to me at breath taking speeds around country lanes. To my memory the soldiers seemed so positive; they had a sense of "can do, let's get the job done."
Best wishes for your efforts,
Pete
Additional Information
This charming anecdote explaining the interactions between soldiers and British children, but incredibly, some Brits were ashamed of this. Rationing in England meant that most children were deprived of sweets and candies, and the perception was that what they were doing was akin to begging!
