With D Day 80 coming up this week here are some passages from the absolutely brilliant 1994 Fareham Borough Council publication 'D Day 50 Years On, A Community Remembers'
“There were tanks up Park Lane and all the surrounding roads. Every day they used to move these big tanks up and down. They were mostly Canadians, and they were only boys. Just before D-Day there was an unending stream of tanks, hundreds and hundreds of them all making their way to Stokes Bay.”
Joyce Kingswell being interviewed in 1994
“In the build up to D-Day, military vehicles began to arrive in the town and their allocated spaces were marked out on the road in white paint.
At that time, the soldiers were busy preparing their vehicles for the forthcoming operation. They were constantly maintaining and waterproofing the engines against the harsh sea water. Every single road was lined each side with vehicles - it was chock-a-block.
The soldiers were busy waterproofing their vehicles. They used two lots of grease so their vehicles would be alright when they went into the sea.”
Rev Ted Royds-Jones, former curate of St Peter & Paul’s Church (and maths and science teacher at Prices Grammar School during the war) being interviewed in 1994
“It wasn't evident that D-Day was coming. There was just a long slow build up. A lot of stuff was being moved around but not enough to give you an inkling that something was afoot. And even when we realised something was going to happen, nobody knew when or where it would happen.”
Mr Pat Hamblin being interviewed in 1994
“I do remember prior to D-Day, the prolonged noise of tanks and armoured vehicles passing through West Street. On going home, we were astonished to find the road was just like a ploughed field and we wondered how long we would have to wait for it to be resurfaced. We need not have worried because the next morning on entering the bank, the road had been repaired to its original state. It was unbelievable and I don't think you would get that happening in peace time.”
Miss Edith Strebor being interviewed in 1994
“The night before D-Day, my husband and I went down for a drink at the Red Lion in Fareham and that was absolutely full of military personnel. One particular person who was there, I remember, he was a radio reporter called Howard Marshall and he had a very distinctive voice - I recognised him from the voice.
It was quite a jolly atmosphere in there and everyone was rushing about. It was very obvious that something was up because the pub was absolutely packed.”
Mrs Phyl Manuel being interviewed in 1994
“Friends of my sister who were in the army, came to the door on the evening before D-Day. They said they were going over tomorrow but they couldn’t tell us what time.
We went to the Gordon Arms and my husband stayed home to look after my son. When we came back, we had a cup of coffee, cakes and sandwiches. But then it was time for them to go.
We kissed them all goodbye and I didn't know one or two of them from Adam!
The next day my sister and I went down and stood at the top of Portland Street to watch all the soldiers going by. I had my son with me in his pram and we stood there waving to them all as they went by. We knew there were lots of troops in Fareham but we hadn't seen them in all the roads. When you went out shopping, you always hurried home as fast as you could in case there was an air raid.”
Mrs Freda Triggs being interviewed in 1994
“I remember the dogfights in the skies over Fareham and we could always distinguish between the German and English aircraft. There was a Home Guard unit in Fareham and they were very nearly on the same lines as Dad’s Army. We used to laugh at them, but they were doing their bit.
Nobody of my age can forget the turning point of the war, which was the build-up of the allied forces ready for D-Day. Every street was just chock-a-block with army vehicles. They were parked all the way up Trinity Street.
My mother and all her neighbours used to have house fires blazing in the outhouse so that we had plenty of boiling hot water every day. The soldiers would come round and have a bath and women would wash their clothes for them. They were one of the family and they were invited in, to join us for cups of tea.
I used to stand and watch them putting mastic over all the electric components ready for the sea crossing. When they die when the day finally arrived, the sky was black with aircraft. The whole sky from Titchfield to Portsdown Hill was absolutely full up.”
Mr Noel Coffin being interviewed in 1994
“As June 6th came the Canadians were pretty well packed solid. They slept in tents and their vehicles. I remember walking up Park Lane and seeing all the vehicles parked on the grass verges. The men were covered in oil. They used to work on their vehicles all the time, they had to be ready because they didn't know when they were going. I vividly remember the hundreds of Canadian troops camped on the recreation ground in Park Lane, where the leisure centre now stands. We knew that it was D-Day because when we woke up in the morning they were all gone. And we knew that they were going to try and move through France and end the war.”
Mrs Ruth Godrich being interviewed in 1994
“[Fareham's streets were] crammed with tanks and other military vehicles. And where the golf course is now, there were lorries and trailers that used to put up the smoke screens.
These lorries were designed to belch out a thick, oily smoke to conceal the military build up taking place on the streets of Fareham.
Every night they used to come up through the town, towards the railway station, belching out fierce filthy old oil - it was like a black rain cloud hanging over everything.”
Jim Murray being interviewed in 1994
As preparations for operation overlord gathered pace many of the troops made their temporary home in the school grounds [Prices Grammar School] and the training room at the school was used for officers’ meetings.
“I came back from boarding school, and they were all there. They came and slept in the garden and they used the bathroom blocks for baths. And whenever I went out, my mother would say to me mind you don't talk to any of the soldiers.’”
Mrs Christine Merritt being interviewed in 1994
