Sad and good memories

This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Catherine Garvie, Learning Project Manager at BBC Scotland on behalf of Elizabeth Aitken from Kilmarnock, North Ayrshire and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

I remember that many people were never the same when they came home.
At the end of the War my uncle was torpedoed and he was never right after this incident. Mum’s brothers were all engineers and did essential War work.

I also remember our neighbour Mr Jack he had been a Japanese POW and was unrecognisable when he came back: he was like a skeleton! I remember my dad taking me to the cinema to see the freeing of prisoners from Belson and Auschwitz and he told me “to watch this so you never forget”. Personally, I still find it very difficult to forgive the Germans for what they did to the POW’s and the content of that cinema news reel remains etched in my mind….

On a lighter note, due to rationing and lack of food, my dad grew vegetables in the garden during the War. My mum was very good at etching out provisions. As a result I’ve still got all my own teeth as we didn’t eat any sweeties or rubbish!

(This article is linked to A8685967, A8686209, A8686849)

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