Holocaust memorial day 27/01/2023

TOON Seasider

TOON Seasider

Well-known member
Hope we all remember what our parents and grandparents fought for all those years ago.
I know my dad who is no longer here did his bit
39/45, France/Dunkirk - North Africa - Sicily - Italy - Greece - back to Italy - Austria, and I am proud as f#@k of him.
Any of my fellow Seasiders on line want to add there family members to this roll of honour.
 
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Johnno said:
My grandad.
Desert Rat tank commander 39-45.

North Africa, Italy, D-Day and onwards.
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My dad also in North Africa.
Drove trailers with Bailey Bridges which covered small chasms to enable Tanks etc to cross.
Johnno, I was in a Tank Regt (3rd RTR) for my National Service. Sept 1953/1955.
We had Centurions, however in RECCE troop we drove Daimler Dingos.
 
Davepick said:
My dad also in North Africa.
Drove trailers with Bailey Bridges which covered small chasms to enable Tanks etc to cross.
Johnno, I was in a Tank Regt (3rd RTR) for my National Service. Sept 1953/1955.
We had Centurions, however in RECCE troop we drove Daimler Dingos.
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Respect Dave 👍

I’m not sure which tank my grandad started off in, but he got upgraded to the Crusader whilst still in North Africa, and I believe he was in Shermans for the European theatre.

I think he was very lucky, there can’t have been many tank crews get through the whole 6 years?

I’ve read that by D-Day the Desert Rat tankies had a reputation of being hyper cautious, they felt they’d already done more than their fair share of fighting.
 
Johnno said:
Respect Dave 👍

I’m not sure which tank my grandad started off in, but he got upgraded to the Crusader whilst still in North Africa, and I believe he was in Shermans for the European theatre.

I think he was very lucky, there can’t have been many tank crews get through the whole 6 years?

I’ve read that by D-Day the Desert Rat tankies had a reputation of being hyper cautious, they felt they’d already done more than their fair share of fighting.
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Johnno, thanks for replying.
Don't know whether your G/Dad was Paternal or Maternal, however I do remember that I didn't see my Dad for over 4 years.
One day in May? 1945 my Bro and I were walking up Regent Rd towards St Johns School rear entrance, as we neared Church St this soldier was crossing the road. he had kitbag rifle and etc.
He stopped, looked at us and said 'Are you Alan & David Pickering?- We said 'Yes'. he said, 'I'm your Dad.' My Bro was 19 months older than I.
After over 4 years we didn't know him.
Wonder if your parent had the same experience?
PS, Shermans were US tanks.
 
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Sounds similar to my mum’s story. After joining up in ‘39, I’m pretty sure she didn’t see him til his unit was withdrawn from Italy to prepare for D-Day. I could be wrong, as I’m not certain what his unit was up to for a year or so before Tobruk. He was RTR, but not sure which battalion, or indeed if they would have stayed in the same battalion for the duration.

I really need to pull my finger out and get his records from the Army.
 
Johnno said:
Sounds similar to my mum’s story. After joining up in ‘39, I’m pretty sure she didn’t see him til his unit was withdrawn from Italy to prepare for D-Day. I could be wrong, as I’m not certain what his unit was up to for a year or so before Tobruk. He was RTR, but not sure which battalion, or indeed if they would have stayed in the same battalion for the duration.

I really need to pull my finger out and get his records from the Army.
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Forgot to say that my Dad also finished up in Italy.
P.S. My dad was born in 1903 so he was not a youngster when the war started.
 
Davepick said:
Forgot to say that my Dad also finished up in Italy.
P.S. My dad was born in 1903 so he was not a youngster when the war started.
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There’s so much I wish I’d asked my nan and grandad when they were alive, but I was too young to realise how interesting their story was!
My Nan was Italian, but they were married pre-war. They lived on Bardsway Avenue, near the allotments. There’s a family story that my Nan used to translate and bring refreshments to Italian PoW work parties during the war, we’ve always presumed they worked on the allotments, but not sure if there’s any truth in it, I don’t even know if the allotments were there at the time, nor if there were any POW’s housed near enough for it to be realistic.

Edit: just found an excerpt from a book about Italian POW’s in England (I’d buy it but it’s £75!!)

“ They were also allowed increasing freedom of move- ment, to the point where several thousand were billeted on individual farms.”


Perhaps there’s some truth in the story, just with age blurred details!
 
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Whitstabletangerine said:
My father joined the Royal Navy at fifeteen soon after ww1 commenced and as a trawlerman in 1939 soon found himseld on the arctic convoys.
MY Brother in law who passed away in 2009, was a Mosquito pilot from 43-46, later joined BEA as a pilot where he met my sister.
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My Dad was an electrician on Mozzies in the Fleet Air Arm at the end of the war. My now deceased FiL was RA, landed after D day and fought right the way across Europe. Said the Battle of the Bulge was a bit dicey. Was amongst the first in to one of the Concentration camps, hair went white overnight. Respect to him and all the others.
 
Davepick said:
Johnno, thanks for replying.
Don't know whether your G/Dad was Paternal or Maternal, however I do remember that I didn't see my Dad for over 4 years.
One day in May? 1945 my Bro and I were walking up Regent Rd towards St Johns School rear entrance, as we neared Church St this soldier was crossing the road. he had kitbag rifle and etc.
he stopped, looked at us and said 'Are you Alan & David Pickering?- We said 'Yes'. he said, 'I'm your Dad.' My Bro was 19 months older than I.
After over 4 years we didn't know him.
Wonder if your parent had the same experience?
PS, Shermans were US tanks.
Click to expand...
Shermans were indeed US tanks. But they were used widely by the British army especially during D Day.
 
My dad served in the RN from 1940 onwards. Raids into Norway, Atlantic convoys to New York and Arctic convoys to Murmansk followed by the Med, Egypt and Malta.

I have this thing where I tread in his footsteps (but without people shooting at me). So Empire State Building. Yep - dad was there with his American girlfriend years before I was. Norway- yep - dad was there first.

I suppose if I put my mind to it I could manage Alexandria and Valletta but I doubt I’ll ever get to Murmansk.
 
It would be educational if some posters who haven't contributed to this thread were to pause and think of what our forefathers were fighting against: the intolerance, the xenophobia the outright racism, authoritarianism, bullying and murder. When those ideas became mainstream, became normalised, a country became fanatical and 50 million had to die to stop it.
 
Johnno said:
There’s so much I wish I’d asked my nan and grandad when they were alive, but I was too young to realise how interesting their story was!
My Nan was Italian, but they were married pre-war. They lived on Bardsway Avenue, near the allotments. There’s a family story that my Nan used to translate and bring refreshments to Italian PoW work parties during the war, we’ve always presumed they worked on the allotments, but not sure if there’s any truth in it, I don’t even know if the allotments were there at the time, nor if there were any POW’s housed near enough for it to be realistic.

Edit: just found an excerpt from a book about Italian POW’s in England (I’d buy it but it’s £75!!)

“ They were also allowed increasing freedom of move- ment, to the point where several thousand were billeted on individual farms.”


Perhaps there’s some truth in the story, just with age blurred details!
Click to expand...
Your first sentence is very, very true.

I’ve written family histories for both me and my wife’s families and it really brings it home to you how you have to capture the memories of your predecessors while they are still around.

As an example…..I knew my maternal grandfather had fought on the Somme. What I never knew was that he had a brother who died on the First Day. So a great Uncle. Discovered by accident using Google and I only realised it because his parents names and address were the same as my grandad’s.

It was never mentioned to me by my mum (he’d have died before she was born) so I don’t even know if she was aware about her Uncle. If only she was still around she might be able to tell me more about what she knew.

Of course (like we were at their age) our kids won’t really be interested. That interest comes as you get older and you realise your own mortality. And want to know more about your place in the world and the stories of your ancestors.

So my advice would be - Write down your memories while you can. And record the memories of your parents and grandparents if they are still around. You’ll almost certainly regret it if you don’t. And so will your kids.
 
Mexboroseasider said:
Your first sentence is very, very true.

I’ve written family histories for both me and my wife’s families and it really brings it home to you how you have to capture the memories of your predecessors while they are still around.

As an example…..I knew my maternal grandfather had fought on the Somme. What I never knew was that he had a brother who died on the First Day. So a great Uncle. Discovered by accident using Google and I only realised it because his parents names and address were the same as my grandad’s.

It was never mentioned to me by my mum (he’d have died before she was born) so I don’t even know if she was aware about her Uncle. If only she was still around she might be able to tell me more about what she knew.

Of course (like we were at their age) our kids won’t really be interested. That interest comes as you get older and you realise your own mortality. And want to know more about your place in the world and the stories of your ancestors.

So my advice would be - Write down your memories while you can. And record the memories of your parents and grandparents if they are still around. You’ll almost certainly regret it if you don’t. And so will your kids.
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Mex, My uncle, who I never met, was killed in France in 1917. 19 years old.
He had been in France for only 4 days, and 2 days at the front.
Apparently shot by a sniper as he was in a trench.
MrsDP and I have visited his grave in Northern France a few times.
The graveyards are beautifully kept.
 
Mexboroseasider said:
Your first sentence is very, very true.

I’ve written family histories for both me and my wife’s families and it really brings it home to you how you have to capture the memories of your predecessors while they are still around.

As an example…..I knew my maternal grandfather had fought on the Somme. What I never knew was that he had a brother who died on the First Day. So a great Uncle. Discovered by accident using Google and I only realised it because his parents names and address were the same as my grandad’s.

It was never mentioned to me by my mum (he’d have died before she was born) so I don’t even know if she was aware about her Uncle. If only she was still around she might be able to tell me more about what she knew.

Of course (like we were at their age) our kids won’t really be interested. That interest comes as you get older and you realise your own mortality. And want to know more about your place in the world and the stories of your ancestors.

So my advice would be - Write down your memories while you can. And record the memories of your parents and grandparents if they are still around. You’ll almost certainly regret it if you don’t. And so will your kids.
Click to expand...
I’ve kept meaning to record dad’s recollections of his wartime experiences before it’s too late… after reading this thread, I’m definitely going to do it now… and over the next few days.

At 18, he was in the Royal Navy and landed on Gold Beach on D Day, a few times, in his role as door opener on his landing craft, carrying troops. He talks about how nervous he was, that he’d be able to open the doors properly and the overwhelming smells and the noise when they first landed and witnessing one poor soldier being flattened by the ramp going down on top of him on another landing craft. Also giving his ration of cigarettes to a soldier and swapping cap badges (it’s one of @Maxnix’s treasured items now.) He recalls how moving the church service was, in the morning before they all sailed and singing “For Those In Peril On The Sea.” He was very proud too when their craft eventually’ limped home’ and was saluted by a naval vessel with all it’s sailors lined up.

He was there too, when they repatriated Guernsey and he speaks of the gratitude of the locals and how they played records and insisted on dancing with them. He describes the pleasure of taking control of the U Boats that were docked there he sold some of his toothpaste and soap ration to one of the U-Boat commanders and used the money to buy drinks for his fellow sailors.
 
Fantastic thread.
Great memories of Serviceman & Women who fought for our freedom.
Where would we be today if they hadn't risked, or even sacrificed, their lives for us?
 
I'm very lucky in that my Grandad was too young for WW1 and too old for WW2, while my Dad was 15 when the war finished, so just missed also.

Instead, Grandad was in the Auxiliary Fire Service and went to Liverpool every night during their blitz from Manchester as a fireman, dealing with incendiaries mainly on flat warehouse roofs. During the day he was an electrician on the railway.

As others have said, I regret not asking more about it while he was still with us.
 
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