Thread: The War Years
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Old 14th February 2019, 01:18
Makko Mexico Makko is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
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From discussions with my Nan (RIP) re: WW2:

My grandfather was a sergeant in the Royal Artillery, but spent the entire second WW as an Ack Ack gunner on convoys in the North Atlantic.

During the frequent bomb raids on Wallasey, almost every night, my grandmother's front door (No.6 Rankin Street) was blown off the hinges. She said that she appreciated the fact that almost every day, civil contractors would come around to replace broken windows etc. and rehang the door. In the end she got a bit tired of the attention and she made a curtain which hung in place of the front door. One night, when the air raid siren sounded, she got a "feeling". Instead of going to the shelter in the centre of the road, she decided to pass the raid under the stairs with my mother and uncle. That night, a wayward bomb fell on the shelter. The victims were mostly mothers and children. Quite sobering and a miracle when one considers. My grandfather returned with a serious case of PTSD, totally unrecognized at that time. Of the little that he said about his wartime experience, when he saw my model of "Hood" in dazzle camouflage, he simple said,"That was how they were painted". He then told me that he was in the fllowing convoy and commented that he was shocked by the number of bodies in the water for days. My mother, following comments by her, was quite affected by her father's PTSD and what happened at home.

On another note:

My Dad, whose father was a "guest" of the Germans at Milag Nord, following the bombing and sinking of the "Dalesman" at Crete in 1941, would also wander in search of souvenirs. He had a fragment of shrapnel bomb and a Swastika arm band, given to his father after the liberation of Milag Nord. His road, Gorsedale, adjacent to the railway tracks, suffered various destroyed homes. He did mention once his sadness, when in search of mementoes, seeing dead kids, that he had known, being recovered from the rubble.

One day, remembering that his father was a POW, he wandered with his mates onto the construction site of a school in front of his house. There was a tall, young, well built blonde guy digging and carrying roof joists. Their natural juvenile curiousity aroused, they got close to the guy and started to ask him questions. It turned out that he was called Hans, a German prisoner of war and had been assigned to the building of the school. It ran through my father's mind that he hoped that his father (who he didn't really get on with) was so blessed.

Many people ask,"Why remember?". I would answer that it is the human aspect of a conflict, the wives, the children, lack of food and inherent, undeserved danger that accmpanies any conflict. I think that is a reason to remember and think twice before taking the final step and launching bellic action.

Saludos, Uncle John!

Rgds.
Dave

Last edited by Makko; 14th February 2019 at 01:24.
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