Caroline's Father was in the Supplementary Reserve, Royal Engineers in 1938 and went into active service at the outbreak of war. He was involved with building works in the UK until 1944 when he landed in France two days after D Day. He ended up in Hamburg, involved with the reconstruction of the Docks and didn't return to the UK until 1946. He didn't fire a shot in anger, but did get an OBE for his work in the reconstruction of Germany. He had fond memories of Germans, but a vitriolic hate for the Nazi party and the SS in particular after leading a group of engineers to clear up the mess of Bergen Belsen.
My Dad was an electrician at Stewarts and LLoyds steelworks in Corby, so a reserved occupation.
In the first war my Grandfather was in France, in the trenches. He was seriously wounded, with a fractured skull when a trench mine exploded, the converted "Blighty" wound, by the time he recovered, which he did in full, the war was all but over. He was awarded a MM for defending a salient with his Lewis gun. A lucky man. In WWII he joined, then left the Home Guard: he always said that they were a joke.
Caroline's Grandfather was a GPO Engineer and having served in South Africa in the Boer Wars he was in a reserved occupation. In WW2 he was very much like Jones in Dad's Army!
Like most of my generation I was not involved in any conflict, but Caroline was, growing up and living in Northern Ireland through the "Troubles", as the daughter of a senior government official who was a retired Army Officer the family were frequently targeted and left in 1973 following a serious death threat from the IRA.
As an aside, I am not impressed with the way this society looks after those who have given service in the Armed Forces. They deserve more of us.
Last edited by Peter J; 02/02/21 12:22 PM.
