Living with the germans - the good...(gift of soup)

One day we were coming through the lanes behind where we lived, by Cambridge Park, near Castle Carey, and my sister and I were coming down, and a German officer came to us, and he said, “Would you like some soup for your tea?” So we said, “Oh, yes please.” He said, “Go home”, because some of them did speak English, “Go home, get a big saucepan or jug, bring it back, and come in the back door of the Castle Carey.” So we did, we went on our own. We went back and there was the big kitchens there, and of course, there was officers living there, and they had the best of food. And they gave us this big jug of lovely barley soup, which I remember it now, very well. And we went home with that, and, I say, the Germans were kindly; there were some, and mostly were kindly to the children. We had a … sometimes bread and jam, and we were looking and scrounging for potatoes. Don’t remember having any sweets. But they were kind that way, and I think a lot of the Germans did really have their family in Germany, and they were worried about, and thought of their family when they were giving to us; their children too. So all in all, I think, if you really did keep to yourselves and didn’t interfere with the Germans, it’s not everybody had a kick!
MOLLY BIHET

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