Men At War

[Maggie/915]

As it is nearly the eleventh hour of the eleventh day maybe we should also remember what the men at war did. Lots of people did not talk about their life during War. Too painful.

If the memories are not recorded they will be lost.

I have the DVD from Al's Store but personal memories are also important..

I know there are records elsewhere on the site but recording more about time and place could prove worthwhile.

[Maggie/915]

My Uncle and comrades who went into the RAF.

He lived in Millbank Crescent.

[Reedy]

14th Battalion Home Guard - taken outside Bedlington Grammar School in 1943.

[Reedy]

My Grandad George Harris was killed during the 2nd World War in an explosion on Cambois Beach. I believe he was Coastguard and a mine exploded. My Mother was taken out of Cambois 1st School and I remember she once told me that the class heard the 'bang'.

His name was added years later to the Cambois War Memorial.

[Symptoms]

My maternal Granny's first husband was killed in WW1 leaving her pregnant; she gave birth, left the little baby boy with her parents and went to Portsmouth for nursing training. When she qualified she was shipped to France and worked at the Front. She also lost a brother in that war. After the war she married my Grandad. He was in the Northumberland Hussars (a Yeoman Cavalary regiment) and was one of the first to ship-out in 1914 and saw service for the whole war; he was awarded the Military Medal for bravery. Howard Pease book on the History of The Northumberland Hussars (I have the family copy) has a section describing my Grandad's exploits; I also have his spurs and jack-knife (the sort with a marlin spike for cleaning horse feet). His medals were left in his will to Durham Cathedral.

My Grandma in her nurse's uniform:

My Grandad in uniform (taken at the Front) ... note his spurs:

Grandad's troop in Flanders ... he's in the center standing behing the board:

When the second bun-fight with Fritz started in 39 he attempted to sign-up but was a miner (protected occupation) and too old and had to join the Home Guard; my Granny was the District Nurse and Midwife. She was also before and during WW2 the Durham organiser for the Royal British Legion.

Edited November 10, 2013 by Symptoms

[Symptoms]

Oh, and my Grandad's horse was called Ned and it lasted through the whole war with him but was left behind at the end. Ned probably suffered the same fate as tens of thousands of nags - a bullet through the head being cheaper than repatriation back to Blighty.

[Maggie/915]

The story War Horse must have special significance Symptoms.

Your family are true life heroes and heroines.

Fantastic stories to inspire others in any generation.

Next time I am at Cambois I will look for the War Memorial Reedy.

The home guard photo is brilliant. So many faces look like someone I know.

Then the names all seem familiar.

[Symptoms]

I post here earlier in the year about the film War Horse being of huge interest to me but also a Beeb telly programme on the same subject. The film, like most cinema war films, tends to concentrate on how the Officer Class won it for us (both big bun-fights with Fritz) and it's less-common for British war films to show the efforts of the ordinary Tommy. The Yankee war flicks always tell the story from the GI's perspective. I, along with most blokes of a certain age, lapped-up a diet of these black & white war flicks when we were young and I still look out for them now if they're on the telly. The Beeb documentary on the war horses was very upsetting as it didn't duck the issue of all the dobbins being topped at the end. The film and the documentary together gave me a real clue about what it must have been like.

The Symptom's family war contribution continued in WW2. My Mum's eldest brother (step-brother - the little boy born during WW1 mentioned above) went to university in the 30s to study languages, including Russian. He was 'head-hunted' into the Royal Navy when he graduated and rose to the rank of Commander during the War; because he was fluent in Ruskie he served for years on the Russian convoys into Murmansk also acting as convoy liason in port (spying). He revealed to my Mum late in life that he was part of military intelligence and during the Cold War was mixed-up spying on Ivan - he worked with Commander Lionel Crabb in Portsmouth (Google him for the story). My Mum's older brother (full-brother) also went to uni in the late 30s to read maths but was called-up in 39/40 and therefore had to leave his studies - he was drafted into the RAF. Because he was a mathematician he was sent for navigation training and served as a navigator for the whole war flying in heavy bombers over Europe ... he was never shot-down. When he was demobbed at the end of the bun-fight he went back to uni to finish his degree.

My paternal family war contribution is a more tragic tale with loads of guys being killed ... they all served in Northumberland Fusiliers. Because so few of these relatives returned the family stories are scanter. My paternal Grandad was a machine-gunner in WW1 who was mentioned in despatches for saving two pals by carrying them BOTH at the same time to safety whilst under fire. He died in 1964 and I remember him being a big bloke (like my Dad and like me) ... he used to talk a bit about the war.

Thankfully, my Dad was just too young to fight in WW2 but was called-up in 46 ... he served in the Rhine Army of Occupation ... and was demobbed in 48.

Edited November 11, 2013 by Symptoms

[Maggie/915]

Tomorrow night on BBC 2 there is a new series starting called 'Strange Days Cold War Britain'.

It might interest you Symptoms if you can get it.

My Uncle was in the Northumberland Fusiliers, after the escape from Dunkirk he died in Burma age 24.

[Symptoms]

My maternal Grandad, his horse Ned, and the rest of the troop were resting-up at the side of a road in Flanders when a column of Australian infantry marched past. My Grandad spotted two of his brothers in their ranks and was able to catch-up to them - they arranged to meet-up at the Aussie's camp that evening. The two brothers had emigrated to Oz in 1910 ... they both survived the war. They were young miners in Durham but went to Oz to work in the fledging coalfields there for much better money. War certainly throws-up some strange stories.

The family tale is that when they arrived in Oz they only had tuppence left in their pockets (for our younger viewers tuppence or 2d is equivalent to 1p in today's money). I reckon folks must have been made of tougher stuff back then.

I'm still in contact with a son of one of those Oz soldiers who is in his 80s and the rest of the large extended OzSymptoms family.

[Symptoms]

Currently re-reading Howard Pease's History of the Northumberland Hussars (I posted about my Grandad and his horse Ned a couple of times earlier in this thread).  In post #6 I mentioned Ned and his dobbin mates were all left behind in Frogland to meet a dubious fate, anyway, Pease's history clearly states that only one Hussar's dobbin made it back to Northumberland and his former (before the War) owner.  The lady continued to ride him for years afterwards.  I'll post the dobbin's details later ... a true war horse!

 

Back to watching the second half - Spurs 1 - 0 up against the Toon.

Edited February 12, 2014 by Symptoms

[Maggie/915]

Interesting how far our ancestors strayed from the NE.

I have found some on a website in America but you have to join the clan to catch up with them.

Then there is information I could give to some on a Sand Dancers website but again it is give us all your details before we can include you.

Sometimes things are harder with the internet.

[Maggie/915]

Tynemouth World War 1 commemoration project is worth a look.

Their information is set to go live on June 28th this year.

The date is an anniversary of note!

Their information on the First World War and the associated events are worth a look.

Today there have been several talks at North Shields library.

Excellent

[Symptoms]

I mentioned earlier that I'd post details of the saved dobbin ... I've scanned the bit from Howard Pease book about Cauliflower (a lovely name for a horse):