V.E day celebrations in Godalming were centred around a big bonfire on the Lammas Land with a firework display as well which they must have saved up from peace time. The pubs of course were also busy. Later there was a  concert of music and songs in the grounds of the Phillip's Memorial. Godalming did not suffer much war damage, the house on the left at the top of Holloway Hill was destroyed by a doodlebug or a bomb and something fell on Edgoose's wood yard and started a fire, roughly where
Sainsbury's is now. I also attained the rank of Field Marshall in that I collected more than 200 books for salvage! I was lucky that my aunty worked for Charterhouse and they were disposing of a lot of books and my aunt nabbed them for me. My reward was  a certificate, which I still have, and a free visit to a Saturday morning showing at Farncombe cinema as well as a choc ice!

Air raid shelters were built on Farncombe Rec. but  I do not think they were ever used except kids playing or trying their first cigarette. I remember 2 aircraft crashes, a Liberator bomber near Bramley and a Spitfire not far from Broadwater. People flocked to see them to pick up souvenirs but there was always the danger of an explosion or the guns going off by accident. I also managed to sit in the cockpit of a German Messerschmitt 109 which had been recovered entire. It cost 6d if I remember correctly and I was most surprised that the seat was like a cheap canvas beach chair, I expected something like a leather car seat.

During the war there was a charity football match and just as the Lady Mayor was performing the kickoff a doodlebug came over about 200 feet up but fortunately it kept on going. Hazel and Colin
remember the Canadians. The authorities brought over a Wild West show for them and the soldiers managed to smuggle some of us civilians in as well. Do other people remember the joy of receiving sweetened chocolate powder from Canada? We had to take jars and tins to school to have them
filled up from a table at thebottom of the main staircase, we were always  short of sweet things.

I hope that this proves of interest. Walter (Wally) Brown. 1944-52