Memoir of Victory in Europe day
Title
Memoir of Victory in Europe day
Description
Recollection of events of Victory in Europe day when author and a bunch of ATS girls volunteered to welcome repatriated troops (prisoners of war) home. Travelled to a base near Bicester where planes landed with returning troops. Disembarking troops were deloused before being given cakes, biscuits and sandwiches.
Creator
Temporal Coverage
Coverage
Language
Format
One page handwritten document
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
BDuwellADuwellAv1
Transcription
Was it on. VE Day [missing words]
Victory in Europe (VE Day) was the end of World War [missing word],
A bunch of A.T.S. girls, encluding [sic] my sister and I volentered [sic] to welcome the troops back to civerlization, [sic] to be repatriated to their home country.
We traveled [sic] by lorry to a large bomber drome near Bicester, arriving to see, row upon row, of tressel [sic] tables lined up with chairs and benches, ready to recive [sic] the Exprisoners of war.
I remember many Australian Soldiers maning the large hanger,[sic] doing the organisation etc.
All of a sudden we heard the hum of heavy planes in the distance, soon there was touchdown, and large four engin [inserted] 4 – engine [/inserted] bombers were taxing [sic] down the runway stopping just outside the hanger [sic] doors, like large black birds siuetted [sic] against the sky.
The plane disgauged [sic] the men, one by one, looking Traumertized [sic] and dazed as they elitghed, [sic]
The first thing, was the DDT tents, that had to be faced, being set up just inside the hanger entrance, this was the order of the day, to get rid of the bugs etc. The exprisoners came out the other side, with the white toxic powder adorning them from head to toe, some limping and some on streachers, [sic] I found out later that the blisters on their feet, were [deleted] cased [/deleted][inserted] caused [/inserted] by forced rout [sic] marches, in the hands of their captors. Several of the men were bandaged also.
We then ushered them to their seats, to enjoy, cakes biscuits and sandwiches, and last but not least a nice hot cup of tea, (or should I say mug of tea)
I noticed a large pile of trophies piled on one part of the hanger floor, consisting of enemy regalia, such as helmets, uniforms with swasticas [sic] adorning them, ornate daggers, and I think there was a sword in the pile. My memory is a little hazey [sic] it being so many year ago
Signed Angela Duwell
Victory in Europe (VE Day) was the end of World War [missing word],
A bunch of A.T.S. girls, encluding [sic] my sister and I volentered [sic] to welcome the troops back to civerlization, [sic] to be repatriated to their home country.
We traveled [sic] by lorry to a large bomber drome near Bicester, arriving to see, row upon row, of tressel [sic] tables lined up with chairs and benches, ready to recive [sic] the Exprisoners of war.
I remember many Australian Soldiers maning the large hanger,[sic] doing the organisation etc.
All of a sudden we heard the hum of heavy planes in the distance, soon there was touchdown, and large four engin [inserted] 4 – engine [/inserted] bombers were taxing [sic] down the runway stopping just outside the hanger [sic] doors, like large black birds siuetted [sic] against the sky.
The plane disgauged [sic] the men, one by one, looking Traumertized [sic] and dazed as they elitghed, [sic]
The first thing, was the DDT tents, that had to be faced, being set up just inside the hanger entrance, this was the order of the day, to get rid of the bugs etc. The exprisoners came out the other side, with the white toxic powder adorning them from head to toe, some limping and some on streachers, [sic] I found out later that the blisters on their feet, were [deleted] cased [/deleted][inserted] caused [/inserted] by forced rout [sic] marches, in the hands of their captors. Several of the men were bandaged also.
We then ushered them to their seats, to enjoy, cakes biscuits and sandwiches, and last but not least a nice hot cup of tea, (or should I say mug of tea)
I noticed a large pile of trophies piled on one part of the hanger floor, consisting of enemy regalia, such as helmets, uniforms with swasticas [sic] adorning them, ornate daggers, and I think there was a sword in the pile. My memory is a little hazey [sic] it being so many year ago
Signed Angela Duwell
Collection
Citation
Angela Duwell, “Memoir of Victory in Europe day,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed June 24, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/37265.
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