1Apr2005

Michel,

I think of the war at times. In remembrance. I'm very grateful. I was 14 when the war started. I wasn't up in London which was tremendous.

My husband lost a brother. He was a paratrooper. Fortunately my father was damaged in the first war. This is how he lived long enough to see it happen. He died when he was 51.

I am 80 now.

I have been to Holland. There were 25 of us picked out to go. We had a wonderful week. Everything was a celebration. 1994. We went to Antwerp, and up into Holland after that.

I met my husband in Brighton at a dance. I was with another friend. He was with another girl. A week later he called and asked if he could see me. Of course we all danced during the war. It was the one thing we could do.

He went over on D-Day. He wanted to marry me. My father, who was a staunch Anglican, wouldn't allow it. He said we could get engaged and then see what happens. You had to be 21 to get married then. We had to wait until the war was over - 3Feb1945.

This photo is of George when he joined the army in Weyburn, 1939. He was 18 at the time. This picture is rather precious to me. I was young at that time too.

I don't have any contacts in Holland now.

Lt. Buchanan, who was in the war, he was a great friend. His wife still lives in Toronto. We exchange Christmas cards every year.

I was born in Worthing, Sussex. My whole family lived in Worthing, always did. Five generations. Worthing Sussex by the Sea.

During the war we weren't allowed to travel more than 5 miles from Worthing. The army was in control of the whole thing. When we went on the train, it was crowded.

The train from Worthing to London was about 60 minutes. I went to school in London. Just part time. I started dancing when I was 4. I was in ballet. I went to dancing school. But when it got worse, I couldn't travel on the train. We couldn't go that far.

We lived just by the sea. We could hear the bombers coming. On the way back they would drop their bombs to get speed to get away. We never knew who was going to get hit next.

We were great friends with Cec. Merritt. It was after the war that we became friends. He had a wonderful, quiet sense of humour. He didn't strut around, although he was high up in the army.

The SSR was stationed in my home town for 9 months. Then they were stationed in the countryside near my home for 6 months, before they went overseas. Every street in my town was loaded with all sorts of equipment necessary to take them over.

My father was a builder and architect. He worked in Porstmouth. We found out later he worked on these huge blocks which were towed across the Channel and used as temporary ports.

Dorothy Symons.

Conversation with Mrs. Symons recorded by GC Salmers, 1Apr2005. Mrs. Symons brought for the occasion a briefcase-sized kit of books, pamphlets, photocopies, brochures, maps, from the 1994 reunion at Antwerp.