Yeovil's Virtual Museum

As a background to the project, Tony Robins wrote the following -

"Many thousands of American soldiers (I think over 10,000) were stationed in and around Yeovil prior to D-Day - at Barwick Park, Houndstone Camp, the Fair Ground in Salthouse Lane, Martock, Bradford Abbas and Mudford. Also many houses in Yeovil were requisitioned. They were very generous to the local children, giving us food, sweets and chewing gum - the call was "Got any gum, chum?" Also 'K' rations (boxes of mixed food, etc. for emergencies) and nylons for the girls. How and why these men came to have stockings in their kit bags was a mystery to us young boys. They were young and very friendly; I remember some coming to our house for Sunday tea. One sergeant came from Boston, Massachusetts; I think he had a Polish name. He gave me some postage stamps from his home town.

It was quite exciting when they collected the payroll for their troops from Lloyds Bank in the Borough once a month. An armoured car pulled up outside the bank, which was then surrounded by American military policemen with Colt 45s on their belts and Tommy guns at the ready, just like in the movies - very heady stuff! One night the Yanks tried to drive a jeep down Lovers' Lane and got it stuck half way and they had to reverse all the way back.

My father, Harold Robins, had a paper shop on the corner of Beer Street. I was not quite twelve years old and every afternoon after school I cycled up Hendford Hill to Barwick Park selling the Evening Standard to the American soldiers. I had a special pass signed by the Camp Commander. There were about five thousand camped there, all very young and friendly. Then one day in early June I went to the camp after school and they had all left - the whole place was completely empty. No-one had told me it was D-Day! But I still managed to sell the papers to all and sundry, shouting "Invasion in Europe imminent!" before I got back to the shop. Although it wasn't actually in the papers I had to sell them, otherwise dad would be cross.

I now understand they all went to Weymouth on Sunday night and many embarked for 'Omaha' beach on the coast of Normandy in France, where they sustained the highest losses. The total on 6 June was 5,400 casualties of which 'Omaha' beach had 2,400 including 1,000 killed on the first day. Some of the same young men I had sold papers and talked to only a few days before. So very sad.

On the Wednesday afternoon of the invasion we were playing cricket on our school playing field (where Goldenstones swimming pool is now situated) and the whole time bombers, Dakota transport planes and aircraft towing gliders were passing overhead towards France. It was an amazing sight with broad white stripes like pigeons painted on the wings to show they were allied aircraft.

The end of the war was a bit of an anti-climax; blackout restrictions had been lifted on 18 September 1944. The war in the Far East against Japan still went on, shortages and rationing became worse, bread and potatoes were added, rationing did not finally end until the 1950s. Shortages still went on, power cuts, water tuned off at night. I didn't taste tinned fruit until I went to Egypt in 1952 with the RAF during my National Service. Hard times.... but at least we were alive.

One of the lasting memories of that time was the prisoners of war coming home. Thin, pale, some yellow skinned. One said "I never want rice again. Ever." Although glad to be home they remained depressed for a long time. Perhaps thinking of their lost youth and the friends they had left behind, buried in some foreign field."