Forces Visitors
During the 1940’s local families were asked to make room in their homes for individuals whose lives were disrupted by wartime activities. Most of these were children who were being evacutated from East London but some were members of the armed forces.
We are very grateful to Margaret Rose, local resident who told us that during WWII, local families were asked to provide accommodation to RAF personal who needed to stay in the village. She has provided us with this photo of George Lefevre from the French Canadian Air Force. She said he arrived at her parents house with only the clothes he stood up in and a book on how to live in England. He had been on one of the first flights to Britain by the Allied Airforce and hadn’t even had time to say Goodbye to his parents.
Margaret told us that her parents took in several servicemen who became longtime friends, but George stayed with them for the longest time. He only left when posted to Belgium (for the Battle of the Bulge), his work involved repairing radios on aircraft. He lost a leg when the air station he was at was bombed and he was medicaly evacuated to Cambridge (to the USAF Hospital). Whilst there he met a Scottish nurse whom he married. The couple were married from Margaret’s parents home in Stowmarket.
Another serviceman billeted with Margaret’s family was Bill Smith. He met a local girl, so staying in the local area and working at ICI.
