Seeing the publicity onthe Queen's jubilee tours around the country reminded me that occasionally, during WW2, we would see in the newspaper that the King (and Queen) had visited here, there and elsewhere, particularly to help morale after the bombings. Apparently George VI made a lot of visits, most unreported, but I knew of one slightly different. During 1940 I was evacuated from Portsmouth to the village of Hartley Wintney, near Basingstoke in Hampshire. One morning, during the summer term, our school day was interrupted and we were all lined up along the school wall, all the infants and juniors, facing out towards the road. Soon there came a number of cars, one flying the royal ensign, such as I had seen when the royal family came to Portsmouth, before the war. Most other children did not believe me (I was a 'vaccy', we told tall stories, they thought.) Some time later, we were all lined up again, and the convoy of cars returned; They slowed down as they neared the school wall, and drove past very slowly, the King and Queen waving to all us waiting children. Later we heard that the Canadian troops camped locally had been mustered in the village, and the royal visit was to them, to thank them for their support in coming to help us in our war effort. Edna
http://www.geocities.ws/cedric_paterson/war_work.htm The King visited Falmouth Docks in 1942. See the link above.
http://www.geocities.ws/cedric_paterson/war_work.htm The King visited Falmouth Docks in 1942. See the link above. Thanks, Phil; it would be nice to hear of any other notable visits. Edna
