Name: Geoff

When did you join up?

I was in the Army. I found my diaries and my letters. Only trouble was, during
the war you couldn’t say what you’d done or what you were going to do.

I wasn’t very good at writing. I was in the Royal Engineers from 1942 to 1947

Where were you on VE day?

I was building a bridge to a kipper factory, just outside Bremen, building a Bailey bridge.

How did you hear the news that the war had ended?

How did I know – the shelling stopped! We were still under fire on 8 May. All went quiet and boys started driving around in their jeeps

Have you had any contact with German people since?

I’ve been back to Germany but not to Bremen. I met German people during the war because I was garrison engineer – civilians were to help with reconstruction.

We had a barracks they wanted to use for the ATS, they had to alter certain things. What I did was to get hold of the secretary of the gas works, put her in my jeep, took her round factories shops and warehouses to pick up all the stuff we needed.

What do you think of Twinning?

Yes! Not for me. Don’t disagree with it.

I’ve got some photos of some of the Bailey Bridges we built