Re: Diary summary week ending 11th May 2025

[KGarrad]

As far as I am aware, none of my family fought in WW2.  However, my father did his "bit" helping to build Spitfires, which explains why I was born in Hoole (which makes me a genuine "Hooligan) and not in rural mid Cheshire.

Same here.
Maternal grandfather died in 1942 of pneumoconiosis (coalminer's black lung disease).
Paternal grandfather died in 1940, aged 63.
My father was too young, did his National Service after the War.

[ThrelfallYorky]

My father was in a Tank, mostly in Egypt, but also Poland / Germany at the end of War. Never ever wanted to talk about it, or celebrate it. Never ever wanted to wear a medal. I can understand that.
TY

[louisa maud]

My father in law  a POW,   didn't collect any medals, seldom mentioned the war, if he did he had nightmares, not surprising  really.

My mother kept a diary from the age of 15, I have them here,  strangely enough there is no  diary for 1945,  I was hoping for an entry for  8th May, quite a few missing from about  1942,  they are in the box but    have very little written day to day, I have just noticed entries for when our teeth came through ,being twins we were just days apart .

LM

[Gillg]

My father, a modest man, never collected his service medal, but as his nearest relative I was able to apply for it just a few years ago.  It was simply a medal for having fought in the war.  He was a private in the Marines and with other older men (mid 40s) he was not sent to the front, but guarded the fleet in Scapa Flow.  He did say what a desolate place it was and suffered what we called his "war wound" - a broken arm after a fall in stormy weather!

I also have his service record and curiously he was sent from his home in Lancashire to train in Lympstone, Devon, just a few miles from where we are now living.

[Jebber]

Like GillG I have no memory of VE Day or the celebrations. I do however remember the air raid siren and being bundled into the Morrison shelter with my Grandmother, then the all clear and being allowed out again. I also remember my father going off in his ARP uniform, I used to to like putting on his helmet.

I also remember my sister's Canadian soldier boyfriend coming back from Holland and bringing me a little pair of wooden clogs, I still have them in the loft with other bits and bobs.

[candleflame]

My father was in a Tank, mostly in Egypt, but also Poland / Germany at the end of War. Never ever wanted to talk about it, or celebrate it. Never ever wanted to wear a medal. I can inderstand that.
TY

My Father’s medals are still in their original box and the ribbons have never ever been trimmed or used either.

[steve100]

May 8th 1945 would have been my father’s 31st birthday, at the time he was still doing his bit against the Japanese. I would like to think the the deserved honour given to our brave men,women and children on V.E. Day could be bestowed on all those on V.J. Day.

[Caw1]

I’m too young to know what went on in the war, born in ‘51… but both parents were in Egypt.. Mum in decoding messages in British Embassy in Cairo..
Dad was in RAOC as Major at the time disappearing off into the desert with all the vehicles being disturbed around so TY your Dad could well have been in a tank supplied by my Dad!

Have been in London today and was amazed at how few people seemed to be around! Everyone round Buckingham palaces I expect… friend and I went to see the Cartier exhibition at the V & A… she’s not in best of health and it was very chilly so couldn’t wander through Green Park as it would have been too much for her… but we had a good day out and plenty of seats on the underground and our trains to and from!

I find listening to some of those who were in the war quite fantastic such vivid memories..

Take care all

Caroline

[Viktoria]

My father was too old for WW2; but had fought in WW1,wounded and taken prisoner which probably saved his life ,too young to be in the Army for Tge Somme and taken prisoner before Passendale.
He worked on the assembly line on ,Rolls Royce Merlin engines for aircraft.
 We were back in Manchester from being evacuated ,the bombing had stopped by then.
I remember the street party ,and a tram all decorated and lit up coming up our road .
Then at the cinema, the Pathe news, with the first pictures of Belsen ——-I remember the gasps - that man ,skin and bone squatting on the ground wearing a tight hat ,picking at some rags on the floor ——-
We were so happy and relieved but Japan had not yet capitulated ,there was still the horror of their prisoner of war camps to come.

How we got through  - I can’t believe we did  but we did.

I missed the Lancaster flight,that deep growly sound of those Merlin engines
that my Dad may have assembled.

Very cold here despite bright sunshine ,cosseting my seedlings and they are coming on nicely.
Look after yourselves folks ,you are worth it!
Haven’t we seen momentous times.
Cheerio,Viktoria.