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229987Colin Maryan
Civilian
Newgate Street is a small Village about 7 miles from Hertford, I lived there During WW2, I was nine years old when the war started. There was a row of houses which were Blitzed by a Land Mine, the Children used to play in the ruins, I remember building camps out of the bricks.The area was then cleared completely and and wooden Huts constructed to house the Prisoners. After School I had my tea and visited the camp where we talked to the Germans through the Perimeter wire, they made us Wooden Toys, one man made me a Snake out of wood which was quite realistic. When the Germans moved out Italian Prisoners moved in, we went into their Canteen and they made us Lovely Coffee, this was a real treat,and invited us to Film shows.
Then they moved on and Displaced Persons came in, these were people who had lost their Homes and Countries by being bombed out, Ukranians and Lithuanian people, I got to know a boy from Estonia whose name was Alfonz. I think now, about how lucky we were.
I remember one day I had just bought a bottle of Pop from the village shop, and I heard a droning noise from above, looking up I saw a V1 Doodlebug, when the droning stopped the V1 fell from the sky and exploded in the woodland about a mile away, I got on my Pushbike and went to see the Wreckage. My dad was in the Home Guard and I watched them training in the Playing Field. The Prison was pulled down after the war and more Houses built.
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