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The first half of 1944 saw an invasion of troops into Fernhurst, and of course at that time we didn't know that it was a build up to the invasion of France, although perhaps the grown-up's did.
Us kids, wrote George Larbey, thought it was just a part of the war and didn't think to much about invasions and things, but we did think we would end up bombing Hitler into submission and then it would be all over. How naive can one be?
Henley Common became a sea of tents, full of the strangest men Fernhurst had ever seen. Who were these men wearing forage caps in the middle of their heads?
Constantly chewing gum and chasing our wives, sisters, and girlfriends all over the village, 'They must be breeding machines from hell,' people would say.
'Over paid. Over sexed. And over here' became a familiar saying.
My sister Pat, then aged 19, met one of these, shall we say, persons. Of course unbeknown to me she had deliberately not given him her address. I can't say to this day whether it might have made a difference if I had known or not.
Joe was on the prowl. I suspect his hormones were in over-drive, and he didn't realise his luck when he bumped into me on the Green. 'Say can any of you guys tell me where Pat Larbey lives?' he said in a broad American accent, at the same time diving his hand into his trouser pocket and producing a handful of loose change.
They had obviously been instructed on the pound and 10 shilling notes, but loose change was not worth mentioning. He must have had the best part of a pound in change in his hand, as he pushed it in my general direction.
I quickly thought if I don't tell him someone else will, and I will be the looser. 'I'll not only tell, you I'll show you, she's my sister,' I said, not really believing my ears.
Well these chaps had oil wells back home, and all drove around in huge limousines, so they told us; it must have been true. Sister Pat is going to be proud of me; I could see the Larbey family becoming famous and very rich. So I took his money and took him home.
I didn't do it a second time, mum dad and sister Pat were on me like a ton of bricks, and poor Joe was sent off with the proverbial flee in the ear, never to be seen again.
What's the matter with my family, do they not want to become rich? Joe didn't seem to care tuppence and went off to share his life with another, and his oil wells too I wouldn't wonder.
I don't know whether Pat ever dated another Yank or not, if she did I heard nothing about it, but I wouldn't have would I?
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