#aldbourne

One big social event was the Saturday night dances at the Memorial Hall. Audrey Barnett later recalled, “There was no shortage of partners at the dances in the village. . . . For the paratroopers, it was a welcome relief from the rigorous training and practice jumps. Most of the men had never left home before enlisting and were naturally homesick. They would readily talk about their homes, parents, siblings, and quite often about their girlfriends or young wives whom they had married before embarking overseas. I found them to be extremely well behaved, very friendly, generous and outgoing, and full of life and good fun.” Of course, there were also some problems between villagers and GIs. Nancy Barrett, a young mother whose husband was stationed at Gibraltar, told Neil Stevens, “The trouble with the Americans was that they were just so forward. I recall one spring morning opening the front door to shake the hearthrug out, and being almost bowled over by the number of young soldiers wanting to chat. The problem was, of course, that deep down they were very lonely, very far from home, and just weren’t familiar with the English ways of reserve. On another morning, there was a knock at the door and when I opened it, the first words this GI spoke were, ‘Can you wash my pants, please, ma’am?’ . . . I agreed to take this man’s trousers and wash them for him, but made it clear that this wasn’t to be his regular laundry house. It wasn’t a case of being rude, but you had to be firm from the outset, otherwise things would easily spiral out of control.” Still, she noted, “The Americans stationed in Aldbourne were far from all bad, and when they left the village, it seemed like a huge void then appeared.”

The first stop is of course the Blue Boar pub where the officers used to gather.

This poster is everything! Our baby boy Nix initiated a drinking club with his buddies. By the way, the Winters here is not our Dick Winters. Also, sadly, the staff of the pub had no clue why Nix was called “The Mick.”

This is a letter from Hester. He mentioned Nix’s second wife Irene (who was from nearby city Swindon) was died in 1960s.

The special B.O.B burger in the pub that of course I wouldn’t miss. It’s pretty good.

Outside the pub, only 15 meters away, is the house Nix rented for himself. (Yes that’s what a rich kid would do there!) Ed Shames said it was all a mess (Vat69 bottles all around) inside the house but Nix didn’t drink during work!

Behind Nix’s house is St.Michael’s Church where Sparky got married. I also found the tombstone of the Barnes boy who was KIA in June 1942.

A three-minute walk to the town center you will find a lovely shop and post office. It used to be the house of the Barneses, also where Dick and Harry stayed in Aldbourne.

The Crown used to be the pub where the enlisted men would visit (because the Blue Boar was occupied by the officers).

There are also some Doctor Who heritages in Aldbourne such as this Tardis trash bin.

Had a very lovely time 🥰

The officers mess (where Buck/Guarnere/Speirs lived) is 20 meters away from the Blue Boar pub. 

The Blue Boar should be easy to find. So is Dick/Harry’s billet because it’s just on the 1st floor of the Aldbourne Post Office. 

Strayer’s HQ is at 51.47822200102602, -1.6199892895471226

The officers mess is at 51.479886291001016, -1.620053034080085

Speirs married at St Michael’s Church 51.48073964441038, -1.6214398639469174

The room wasn’t big and we slept on army cots, but the comforts of home were a pleasant respite from the crowds and the barracks. While Harry Welsh spent his free time at a pub that was only a stone’s throw from our room, I spent my evenings with the Barnes family.

Life with the Barneses suited me perfectly. They provided me a home, a family, and a fireplace to come to at the end of a day’s training. They adopted me as a son. 

Francis Barnes was a lay preacher at one of Aldbourne’s three churches. On Sundays I always had a special invitation to come to their church. Mr. Barnes would preach the sermon, Mrs. Barnes played the organ, and I wore my best dress uniform and sat front and center.

My association with the Barnes family was one of the most enjoyable experiences in my life. By giving me time to reflect and to study my manuals for the nine months prior to the invasion, the Barneses helped me develop my own personality and hone my leadership skills. This formative period of my life was very important in continuing to build the fundamental characteristics my parents had initiated, and they helped shape my life.