Audrey

I also grew up during the was. I was 13 when war was declared, an only child . I well remember 3 September 1939 and Chamberlain's broadcast, particularly the look of horror on the faces of the adults who I realised later anticipated the great loss of life of WW1. We lived in Bristol and in June 1940 , coming home from a film with a friend as it was her birthday and rationing made a party impossible we passed the newsboys who had placards saying that the Germans had reached the Channel ports. I commented that they could reach Bristol now and sure enough we had our first air raid that night and the bombs dropped before the sirens sounded. We had nightly raids but it was November when the blitzes started and in the first about 12 main streets in the city were completely devastated. I met my husband at College after the war and wrote earlier of him when I first joined the club. Left behind at Dunkirk , then Sandhurst and then The Scinde Horse, Indian Army I fouind the information about Maurice Gilbert written by another member identical to my husband's up to them leaving the Army.My husband joined them tbe in charge of the tanks and I have photos of him there and he was on the NWF in 1942 going on to Syria after about a year. I find this very confusing as Jumbo Preston in a (a letter written to Maurice Gilbert's mother) refers to Gillie which is what my husband was called and he knew Jumbo Preston well. My husband was also known as Tommie but all the places mentioned were where my husband served on the same dates. Also my husband gave up the promotion of Major as he was due to be demobbed. Again identical. I wish someone could clear this up for me. We attended a number of Scinde Horse lunches ;lpost war but no one ever mentioned a Maurice Gilbert