There were plenty of Americans around. Some were building another air base near Birch. They were keen to come to our dances in the Labour Hall and the heads of many of our girls were turned.

So much aircraft noise, often circling to get into formation before heading off for another raid. On their return we saw planes with holes, bits missing and trailing smoke.

Sadly mechanical failure to the planes was not uncommon. On the day before D-Day one heavily loaded flying fortress came down not far from the point to point course. There was great concern that the bombs would go off but the pilot and bombardier stayed on board to avoid Easthorpe and to the defuse bombs. Both died.

The following evening the King went on the radio to say the invasion of Europe had started. We knew that many of our boys and our allies would be killed.

Noisy doodle bugs started coming over. Several fell in the village and did damage even to the Church — several windows blown out and to the tower.

One evening my friend Alwyne Garling was coming home from Chelmsford on the bus when he saw a doodle bug blow up not far in front of them. It had come down near the railway line and had hit an old cottage in Jays Lane - Elder Gardens. The Meads were so lucky. They were out visiting family in Coggeshall Road but their house had to be demolished. There were a number of casualties but fortunately no fatalities. Thirty people had to sleep elsewhere that night.