VE Day pride?

Thu 8 May, 16:16

My father, like Liz's and Janet's, fought (ultimately, under Montgomery) in the army that liberated North Africa, carried on across the desert to Egypt, landed in Sicily, and then liberated Rome and most of the rest of Italy.

Somehow, this army attracted the nickname "D-Day Dodgers", which was a travesty because it fought and took casualties far longer than the armies landing in Normandy. You can hear the anthem they wrote about their dodges on You Tube.

My mother's war was completely different. She and her sister tested machine guns in Fazakerley, next door to the Grand National racecourse. Their other contribution to the Allied war effort was fending off the hundreds of oversexed (and overpaid and) Americans and Canadians who swamped Liverpool every night, dodging my grandfather's urges to become Catholic converts.

Thu 8 May, 15:49

On VE day my father was probably at sea.  He served as a radio officer in the Merchant Navy, including on Atlantic convoys, from September 1939, when he was 19, to 1946 when he was demobbed.

In June 1941 his ship was torpedoed and sunk, 400 miles east of Newfoundland.  He and the captain were the last off the ship into the lifeboat, my father clutching the radio and the code books. The U Boat surfaced and came alongside, and the ship's crew were asked if the captain was with them.  No, they replied, and said he must have gone down with the ship.  The captain of the U Boat then asked them if they had any injuries, wished them good luck, and sailed away.

My father sent May Day signals.  Two spotter planes flew over, but did not see them.  Then, on the tenth day adrift, a third plane did see them and a Royal Navy destroyer was called on to rescue the crew.  They were picked up, including radio and code books, and delivered to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

My father went on to complete 17 Atlantic crossings, and sailed as far as Calcutta, Argentina, Panama and Vancouver.

My mother was a young teacher and firewatcher, in London.  On VE day she was hoping that her boyfriend's ship would not be blown up by a mine before he returned to England.  After being reunited, they were married in 1946.

Many years later, when my father was supervising the stressful integration of Birmingham College of Education into the Polytechnic, he was asked by colleagues how he managed to appear so calm.  His response was that things were rarely quite as desperate as they might appear.

Thu 8 May, 10:35

The war was never discussed in my family as there was such sadness, my great uncle Alfred Beard was shot down and killed aged 17. About 10 years ago we researched him online and discovered he was on a reconnaissance mission supporting the evacuation at Dunkirk, he was shot down just off the coast. We dont think the family ever knew this.

Another great uncle Bill Kibble was captured at Arnhem and became a PoW at Stalag Luft VI. The British prisoners organised themselves very well and my great uncle had the role of quartermaster. They saved up things from their Red Cross rations like cigarettes that could be used to bribe or barter with the guards. Towards the end of the war there were severe food shortages and the prisoners were facing starvation. They found out from a Red Cross worker that there was a warehouse full of supplies that the Red Cross couldnt distribute due to the roads being bombed out. A plan was hatched by the PoWs whereby they hired a tractor and trailer from a local farmer and then my great uncle and two german guards (bribed) made the journey to the warehouse, which took a number of days, loaded up the trailer and brought it back to the camp, saving the prisoners from starvation. I believe he was recognised after the war for his actions in the camp.

Two other great uncles were also POWs, one grandfather served in Egypt and another in the Home Guard. 

Wed 7 May, 17:14

Great thread! 

Wed 7 May, 11:08

My father enlisted in 1942 when he was just 18.  93 Company Royal Pioneer Corps.  Landed on the Normandy beaches just after D Day, then fought his way up through France, Belgium, and on to Berlin.  Being fluent in English, French, and German, he was assigned to help the Allies track down Nazis.

Demobilised in 1947 - from Private to Sergeant and 4 awards: Defence Medal; France & Germany Star; War Medal 1939 - 1945; 1939 - 1945 Star.

Tue 6 May, 23:24

My father fought in the Warsaw Uprising as a member of the Undergound Army or Polskie Państwo Podziemne (Polish Secret State). He was captured and sent to prisoner of war camp, unlike one of his brothers who went to Buchenwalde concentration camp. This brother survived but another brother and his father were killed. His family had a house in the Rynek Starego Miasta (the old market square) which, along with the rest of the city was flattened at the end of the war. Hitler had wanted Warsaw for himself and if he couldn't have it, no-one else would. My father joined the official army at the end of the war and spent time in officer school in Italy before coming to England to find work. 

Mon 5 May, 16:05

My father was just arriving in Amsterdam and was part of the liberating force, although most sources credit the Canadian army. There is a video of the liberating forces arriving in Amsterdam which my father is on. My father in law was in Norway so my mother in law said they felt they couldn’t celebrate as he was still in an area where fighting was continuing. Brave men. 

Mon 5 May, 14:13 (last edited on Mon 5 May, 14:24)

My father was in reserved occupation in the midlands. He was very frustrated at not being allowed to volunteer, as his peers were. Eventually he did join up in the Royal Engineers and was sent to India, imbedded with Indian troops, to train them in bridge building.  They were preparing for the expected invasion of India by the Japanese. Of course the war against the Japanese was ended with the bombing of Japan. My father returned to U.K. very, very thin but not having seen action. At war's end he was sent to Trieste in Italy, to rebuild infrastructure - bridges.  He rejoined the regular army after being demobbed and served a full career after that.

My mother was a WREN based on the south coast. Her work was re stocking ships with their supplies.

Mon 5 May, 12:04 (last edited on Mon 5 May, 12:08)

My father was also in North Africa, Sicily and Monte Cassino, and was hospitalised in Rome in June 1944 with malaria. Once he recovered it appears that he had a lovely time in Rome, visiting the usual sights and art galleries, as well as some of the less well known churches etc,  and seeing Blithe Spirit and The Song of Bernadette. He described all this in a letter to my great-grandmother dated 7th July 1944, a copy of which I have. An interest in art history that I have inherited from him!

My mother was in the WAAF and served in the ops room at Stanmore where she was responsible for tracking plane movements. She was on duty the night that Rudolf Hess landed in Scotland, and was puzzled by what she was seeing!

Mon 5 May, 10:47

My father-in-law was actively involved serving in North Africa, then crossing the Mediterranean to Sicily and Monte Cassino. In Italy he developed a profound dislike of tomatoes as supply drops by the Americans often missed target and ended up in on the German side. So our troups were left to forage to find food and being in Italy that was mainly tomatoes!! After the war he never ate tomatoes again!!

My uncle served in the Navy on frigates in the Atlantic and then later in the Far East. And the due to the war, my mother who had got a job with the Inland Revenue got relocated from Surrey to Llandudno where she met my father.

Sat 3 May, 13:39

Both my parents were in active service on VE Day.  I'm not sure they were aware of it at the time.   The conflict ended on VJ Day, 15th August 1945.  They were de-commissioned many months later.  Father was a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm and was in the Far East on VE Day.  Mother was a WREN officer in Naval bases around the country who talked frequently about the loss and waste of war.  She spent the rest of her days campaigning for peace and unity through economic union.   It is now that I realise the sacrifices they made as young adults and how their hopes for a conflict free future seem so fragile.  Thank you parents.  

Sat 3 May, 08:28

My father was a vicar in a country parish in Essex. He volunteered via the RNVR. He was allocated to the submarine branch where he doubled as a priest and a radio operator. He was known as the submariners' sky pilot.

Fri 2 May, 19:31

Just a thought, and I don't know how practical it is, but:  given that the anniversary of VE Day is coming up, would it be useful if the Forum made space for members to tell the stories of family members who were involved in some way?   Demonstrate pride? 

I'll start: my mother was one of those people who can play just about any tune on the piano but couldn't read music.   During the war her family lived in Leicester; she had a token allowing her free entry to any cinema in Leicester because whenever people needed to take shelter she would accompany a sing-song - anything from Vera Lynn to hymns from Sankey & Moody.  

And my Uncle George was a navigator in Lancaster bombers; never talked about it, but would produce loads of maths and logic problems - goats/cabbage/missionaries, use these jugs to measure a pint of water ...