Part 12 To France, then England

Some time later we were directed to Algiers harbour, and to get on a boat which was going to land us on the south of France. We found that we were to support the Fusilier Marines, which was a French regiment which had been made up from people who were previously on the French Navy boats which had been sunk by the Royal Navy, or scuttled to prevent them falling into German hands. While sailing across the Med. Towards southern France, we heard that some of the merchant seamen were threatening to go on strike, as they didn’t think that they were getting enough danger money. It must have been sorted out, because the operation carried on as planned, and we landed on France on 15-8-44.

We landed on the coastline, near the town of Hyeres which was a few miles from Marseilles, and the landing initially was not opposed. We met with some resistance further inland but the French troops managed to cope. We had to march very fast, because we were throwing a loop round Marseilles as the French Foreign Legion had landed on the other side of Marseilles, and we had to join up with them. They invited us to join with them in their meal at the rendezvous point but we declined with thanks. They were having baby octopi cooked in olive oil, which they seemed to regard as a great delicacy.

Both the French forces turned south, and we entered the Marseilles area. Most of the Germans had fled from the town, so that it didn’t take long to clear the port area, and our ships were soon able to come in and berth.

We spent the night in one of the dock offices, and the following day we were reunited with our white scout car.

Our officer told us that our programme now was to head north up through France towards Paris if it was clear, and then go west, to a Channel port for home.

About halfway towards Paris, we stopped to spend the night in a town where the people were so pleased to be liberated that they put us up in the best hotel in town for free.

The hotel manager told us that if we had been a little earlier that we would have seen one of their freedom celebrations. The partisans had rounded up all the women who had been fraternising with the Germans, and given them the option of having their heads shaved, and being marched through the town, or spending some time with the French Native troops. Most of them chose the former punishment.

About thirty miles south of Paris we were directed to stay in a big house which stood in its own grounds with a river flowing through, and on which it was possible to take a punt. We had a good rest there, and were able to write letters, do our washing, and generally laze around. The allies captured Paris on the 24/25 August 1944, and when this was announced, we were able to proceed on our journey.

When we got to Paris we were given an empty house, previously occupied by the Germans to live in, and once settled in, our captain made arrangements for us to go to the Folies Bergere in celebration.

When we got to the hall we had to stand right at the back, and the stage seemed a long way away. There were no opera glasses available for hire, as they had all been commandeered for the war effort.

After a couple of days we headed westwards to a channel port, crossed over, then travelled up to London, to get a train for Dundonald camp.

The first train that we had got on to, after crossing the channel was full of school kids going to school, and it was wonderful to listen to them talking away to one another it English. We had been overseas for about two years.

(My father was not a racist, but he was born in 1922 and expressed himself as a man of his time. The "French Native troops" he refers to were French colonial troops from Africa. RM)