Wartime memories

HAVING read with interest your feature on Living with the Enemy I am sure that many former members of the Huntingdon Street Methodist Church in St Neots, like myself, will recall the various occasions that German and Italian prisoners of war attended th

HAVING read with interest your feature on "Living with the Enemy" I am sure that many former members of the Huntingdon Street Methodist Church in St Neots, like myself, will recall the various occasions that German and Italian prisoners of war attended the morning service.

Alongside these could be small contingents of our own armed forces from Duloe Road Army Barracks and from RAF Graveley.

At one particular Christmas carol service that I recall we had contributions from the German and Italian groups, both singing carols in their own tradition and language. Stille Nacht sung by a group of German male voices carried the message of Christmas as effectively as any sermon. I should add that on this particular occasion there was one of the regular visits from members of the United States Air Force and they helped the celebration with their rendering of Joy to the World.

On a personal note, I was deputy-organist at the Huntingdon Street Church during the war years and, as a young teenager, I had the enviable experience of accompanying on several occasions a violinist from the Hamburg State Opera Orchestra who was a prisoner of war at Beeson House, Herr Schramm. He wrote a piece of music for the church at the time of his repatriation to Germany and dedicated it as a thank you for shared musical experiences.

SPENCER W FREEMAN

King's Avenue

Eastbourne