Friendships that have endured

Jun 25 2009

Sir, On June 6, 1944, my husband Bill Hawkins of the 26 Royal Engines Assault Squadron was seriously wounded. He was one of six crew of a Churchill AVRE tank, which sank in a water hole on Juno beach. The first bank to enter Graye-sur-mer.

Bill was one of two survivors, and in hospital for two years, at Shorley Bridge, Durham. I had a young baby of ten months old.

I received a letter from one of the patients in the ward, to say Bill was depressed and having problems with his balance.

So I packed the pram with our clothes and went on the midnight train from New Street Birmingham.

My friends Rita and Albert Harley helped me by pushing the pram to Hednesford Railway station, and getting me a seat for myself and baby, Margaret. It was a six hour journey, arriving at six the next morning. The people where I was staying came to meet me.

She was one year old the next day, August 12, so I took her a cake with one candle on and her daddy lit the candle in the grounds of the hospital.

In 1976, the French invited us to Juno, Graye-sur-mer, to recover the tank out of the ground which was restored by the Royal Engineers and stands on Juno beach as a memorial to those very brave men.

We have been back there many times staying with a lovely family.

My husband died nine years ago. Five years ago my son took me back for the ceremony which is always very moving.

The highlight of the week was having lunch in a friend’s garden with 26 English and French people. I still get letters from them. The mayor of Graye-sur-mer and our host Jeane Piper came to Bill’s funeral.

The vicar, Peter Gray-Smith at St John’s Church, Heath Hayes, welcomed them in the French language.

Out of evil has come friendship. I was unable to go this year owing to age and disability.

Joan Hawkins

Cromwell Road

Heath Hayes