Mr. Barron gives a detailed description of jumping from an aircraft, and reflects on his battle readiness.
Only Four or Five of us Passed.
Mr. Barron outlines his enlistment, his service in Newfoundland, becoming a paratrooper and reaching England for active service.
Remembrance Day
Mr. Raymond gives his opinion about Remembrance Day and the lack of importance attached to it.
Camaraderie
Mr. Raymond tells us about the family spirit on the front lines.
“The fear of not getting through it”
The war was ending. Mr. Raymond talks about the fear of not finishing the war safe and sound.
Nobody Wanted to Go On Patrol
Nobody wanted to go on patrol. Mr. Raymond explains why.
Respect for German Soldiers
Once the war was over, Mr. Raymond saw German soldiers as human beings just like everyone else.
Impossible to Forget . . .
Seeing a companion die in combat without being able to help him and feeling powerless in such a situation. Life after the war despite the horrors of the past . . .
Importance of being well trained for war
Mr. Raymond talks about the importance of training because when you arrived on a battlefield, you could lose self-control . . . .
SS Prisoners Remained Arrogant.
Mr. Raymond described the attitude shown by an SS who was taken prisoner.
German Snipers
The soldiers’ greatest fear was to be in a sniper’s sights.
Importance of the Senses
The senses had special importance during the war for detecting the presence of the enemy and how far away they were. Sounds from allied weapons and aircraft were different from the enemy’s . . .