This is an entry in a year-long project to post-blog the demobilisation experience for British servicemen at the end of the Second World War. See here for an introduction to the project and here for a brief overview of the demobilisation process.
The People quotes the opinion of Greenwich magistrate J. F Eastwood that the postwar crime wave "is in many ways worse for Britain than the war itself." "Men make up their minds to live a life of crime," laments Eastwood: "morals of quite decent people break down ... there are only two ways to stop it. One is through the courts by giving quite heavy sentences, but that does not go very far until the people and the country realise the position and take their part in trying to stop it."
Speaking of postwar changes, the Sunday Express notes that between 150,000 and 200,000 servicemen and -women are currently on the move within Italy, Germany, and the UK - either going home, being demobilised, or returning from leave; a greater number in transit at any one time than during the fighting itself. At least 25,000 are making the Channel crossing daily, creating a transportation bottleneck. It takes about two days to journey from Belgium to London via the Ostend-Tilbury route, and at least five to get from Britain to Germany or vice versa.
Many complaints are arising of long night crossings made without food or even a mug of tea in boats so crowded that there is not enough room for troops to lie down. An RAF officer who recently returned to Belgium from home leave told Express reporters: "I and my fellow officers were disgusted with the conditions ... everyone had to sit on deck; there was no accomodation at all."
"is in many ways worse for Britain than the war itself."
Nice to see some people didn't lose their perspective in trying times.
Posted by: Erik Lund | Wednesday, 30 December 2009 at 12:44 PM