Rainy in am. Cloudy and cool, fifties. Girls and I went to church and Sunday School. Wilfred Young from PA preached. We called at LaVerne's in pm and picked up pig feed at Grand Gorge. Leonard Reynolds called here in evening before church. Girls and I went to church in evening.
Comment: Leonard was the father of Paul Reynolds who married sister Sue. Sometimes when he visited he would bring his guitar in and play some old country and western songs. Leonard is the grandfather of Mark and Steven Reynolds...he was in Europe during World War II and I remember him telling how the sky was completely filled with American bombers from horizon to horizon when on bombing missions to Germany.....here is memoir of that by a English citizen: This is what Leonard must have seen:
People in story: Edward Le Besque, Location of story: Bromley
Background to story: Civilian Article ID: A6759570 Contributed on: 07 November 2005
I was six when war broke out and twelve on VE Day; thus I had lived half my life under war conditions. My home was in Bromley, apart from twelve months or so in 1939-40 when we stayed with an aunt at Otford, near Sevenoaks.In 1941 I was a pupil in Lower One at Eltham College Junior School. We knew things were building up for an invasion, it was in the air, but of course we had no idea when or where.
I remember one day at home hearing the sound of aircraft; I looked up as usual, and saw to my amazement the advance of a great air armada. From left to right horizon, the sky was full of aircraft, the noise incredible, a continual drone as the leading aircraft passed overhead followed by more and more until the sky was full of planes and vapour trails. There were bombers, bombers towing gliders, various fighters and fighter bombers, a vast procession that seemed to have no ending.
An awesome experience that I have never forgotten, but I cannot place it in time. I am certain it was not D day, but it could have been the airborne attacks on the Rhine Bridges of which Arnhem was the most famous, or the later crossing of the Rhine.
This story was submitted to the People's War website by Helena Noifeld of BBC Radio Kent and has been added to the website on behalf of Edward Le Besque with his permission. He fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
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