The
Group are very sad to hear that Val is in hospital and we all send her our best
wishes.
Geoff
came along armed with cakes to mark our 100th meeting and also, we
used the cakes to mark Alan’s Birthday, he was surprised we knew it was his
birthday, his face was a picture!!
We
talked through the arrangements for Todd Gray’s Book Launch, date is confirmed
for Thursday 12th September at 7:30 pm. This will be put in place at
the July meeting. We are not meeting in August.
We
were pleased to welcome Margaret with
some Feniton related photos and paper cuttings relating to the bellringers in 1979, 11 year old George Tibbet, Tom
Virgin, 73 and the Tower Captain Les Stevens, who received a Long Service award for Les who had worked at Feniton Court
for 41 years in 1988 at Devon County Show. The other show Mrs P B E Ackland
(sic) presenting the Championship trophy in the Shorthorn Class at Crewe Show
in 1973.
A
local historian and metal detectorist, Nigel was made welcome to the group.
Good to have you on board Nigel.
A
letter has been received from Graeme sending us a wonderful article dating to
around the date of the Fenny Bridges Battle 1549. It is a Scabbard Chape, this
was the piece of metal at the point of the scabbard to protect it. The Group
thank Graeme for passing this to the Group Archive.
We
are always amazed how the evenings in The Nog evolve with random snippets coming together. This
evening exceeded that. It is the 75th Commemoration of the D Day
Landings, may of us have been watch the BBC programs that mark the day. I hope
my notes do this justice. The personal recollections of the Group members are
just humbling and heart wrenching.
Alan
recalled the American Troop trains passing through, The Heathfield Camp in
Honiton, now the trading estate, billeted the US Army, much to the delight of
the ladies!!! Nylons, sweets, tined meat,
fruit and chewing gum being some of the
perks!!!
The
US Navy were at Dunkeswell doing submarine patrols over the south west approaches,
the
planes they used were liberator bombers. Alan recalls one of the planes failed to take off and crashed
near Sheldon, loaded with fuel and depth charges. Alan and his brother Keith
wet off on their bikes to see this, Brenda still has the bits from the crash
that Alan ad Keith brought back. You can
still see the site as the hedge has no trees growing there.
Cycling
home from Kings School by Cadhay, Alan spotted a glider in the corn field with an US officer by the gate, Alan engaged him in
conversation to ask why, he was told the glider needs to go back to Upottery
know as Smeatharpe. An aircraft came and caught up the hook cable and lifted
off towing the glider back to Smetharpe.
This would have bee the
5th
Jun 1944. A lot of air craft towing gliders from Upottery off to the Normandy
landing beaches.
RoseMarie
remembers her Mum telling she would get Nits if she played on the bombed sites
in Plymouth. George remembered taking sugar to the sweetshop for
the shopkeeper to make his sweets. Brenda’s
family were living in the South East and the wonderful Christmas food parcel
sent by her Grandparents in North Devon brought back memories of the farm with
the smell. Margaret’s mother was hard at work scalding cream to make clotted
cream for the hotels and Dellers.
http://www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/_buildings/dellers-photos.php
Other
members of the group passed on such devasting personal family tragedies; I
thank them for relating their experiences that changed their lives for ever.
The
meeting closed with Peter reading his poem about a Dead Russia Soldier. Thank
you Peter. Peter shared his war experience and brought along his medals.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
