Who did you meet today

[john i am]

Hi guys I got chatting today with a senior citizen who looked like he needed some help crossing a very busy road.After crossing safely he thanked me and I replied no problem.He then informed me he was 91 and I told him how well he looked for someone of that age. I wished him all the best and we parted company.As I was walking away my brain kicked in with the maths mmmmmm I thought ww11. I quickly turned on my heels and went after him.To my delight I found out that he had served in the RAF

training in Africa later serving on Lancaster's as a navigator he had been injured during service spending 6 months in hospital to say I was star struck is an understatement my 1st and only meeting with a war veteran and meeting him in the street awesome I could have spent all afternoon with him but work beckoned. Have any of you guys n girls bumped into any heroes in your normal everyday routine ?

[Guest]

Very interesting and friendly story John

Where I live there aren't war veterans....

[Alan 45]

I have spoken to many old war horses in my time at remembrance services, from yanks who flew in the Battle of Britain to an Indian chap who served in Burma , I've noticed a paten in talking to them, those that were there never told you about the horrors they witnessed but the friendship and the honour of serving.

Casing point I once spoke to a chap wearing meddles and a red berry , he told me he was at Arnhem , I was amazed and asked if he had made to the bridge , he told me yes and what he had done and how much of a hero he was taking out a machine gun unit , I pressed a little further asking if he was captured , he said no he got out , now this was a little odd as the ones that made it to the bridge were captured , the only troops who got out were the with the main force that never got to the bridge , he told a good story though

[Guest]

I've heard loads of storys, comes from working with Jewish Housing in Sheffield, some truly awful, some....

well, heart warming results, if not at the time (step grandad) :-/

Might add more tomorrow, see how i feel guys x

[PaulTRose]

1980.....18 years old and in first job.....old guy who was a Burma railroad survivor...typically he didnt talk about it like most.....wish i could have got to know him better

[eddiesolo]

I managed to talk to my Grandad who was in Africa and he told me some tales. I was also taken aback by my friends Grandfather, many years ago at his house, he would sit in the chair and suddenly shout out and cock his gun and start yelling. He was a rear gunner in a Lanc and they got shot down by a night-fighter-he, apparently, was the only one to bale out and survive from his crew-it affected him deeply and after all those years it still got to him.

Si

[Ian M]

My grandfather was a crewman on the mighty Hood. Down in the boilers. He was moved over to another ship before she headed off on her last voyage.

I can recall many of his stories of his time on her and how upset he would become as he remembered all the mates he lost when she went down.

He had a large photo hanging on the wall in their living room of him in his uniform and his actual seaman's hat hanging below it. Every year to mark the Hoods lost he would put a bunch of flowers in a vase to honour them.

Ian M

[Alan 45]

My grandfather was a crewman on the mighty Hood. Down in the boilers. He was moved over to another ship before she headed off on her last voyage.I can recall many of his stories of his time on her and how upset he would become as he remembered all the mates he lost when she went down.

He had a large photo hanging on the wall in their living room of him in his uniform and his actual seaman's hat hanging below it. Every year to mark the Hoods lost he would put a bunch of flowers in a vase to honour them.

Ian M

Now that's a coincidence , the wife's grandad served on the hood and was posted to the HMS Royal Arthur 4days before she set out on her last voyage , his name was Harry Williams and there's a good chance they new each other , isn't it a small world

[tanktrack]

I was out fixing a mans car he was a senior citizen and we got talking and he showed me pictures of him in Italy -Monty casino I think were he was a radio operator . he looked down at my steel capped boots and chuckled before stating that they - the allies would have shot me as a possible German because I had my boot laces cris/crossing were as the british army laced their boot across we had a good laugh at that

[eddiesolo]

It is funny that as kids, some of us heard tales from our Grandfathers and Uncles who were only early 20's if that.

Some of things I remember are:

A Uncle that landed on D-day, got shot in the foot in the landing craft, got dragged back in and taken back to the ship. He cursed all the way back as he never even got one one foot on French soil.

A couple from my Grandfather, he was a medical officer, joined that after being refused into the paras as he was 8 stone and they said he would have to be dropped 10 miles before everybody else. He was once stopped by a German officer that had been captured, the German officer asked him about the electrically fired guns he could hear in the distance-my Grandfather smiled and told him that they were just good old Tommies firing their 6 pounders. The officer looked down and then replied..."Germany, will loose this war."

Another instance was him on top of a hill with a red-cross flag as they moved wounded. A sniper put a bullet at either side of him and then one in the middle of his feet, he replied by sticking two fingers up at the guy. As he said, the guy was playing with him, if he wanted him dead, he would be.

Si

[john i am]

In 1 9 4 4 my nan lost her brother who was serving on board the HMS Penelope below is a brief history of the ships demise. All I know about him was that his name was John Simcox and he was one of 415 who lost their lives on the sinking of the ship.

January

19th Deployed with 15th Cruiser Squadron at Naples for duty in support of landings

at Anzio (Operation SHINGLE).

(See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and Naval Staff History).

21st Deployed as part of Southern Attack Force (X-Ray) with USS BROOKLYN,

HM Fighter Direction Ship PALOMARES and USN and RN destroyers

22nd Provided naval gunfire support at X Beach.

25th Deployed as a pair with HMS DIDO, to provide naval gunfire support to shore military

operations as required.

(Note: These two cruisers were deployed in rotation with HM Cruiser DELHI and USS

BROOKLYN, HMS PHOEBE and HMS ORION, HM Cruiser MAURITIUS and

USS PHILADELPHIA

27th Bombarded Formia

(Note: During the period up to 17th February, ships in the assault area came under

several U-Boat attacks.).

February Military support role in continuation with ships of Force X.

8th Carried out five bombardments in support of military operations at Anzio beachhead.

17th During passage to Naples to replenish ammunition hit by acoustic torpedo (T5) fired

from U410 35 miles west of Naples off Cape Circe.

Sank 10 minutes after further torpedo attack by U410 which caused major explosion.

415 of the ships’ company were lost with 250 survivors rescued by landing craft

(Casualty List - note on casualties)

[Guest]

Yes John I have and very privileged.

Roland Beamont (Wing Commander) who engaged me as an architect and then as friend during his stay in Jersey. Known as Bea in the RAF but to friends as Rolly.

Test Pilot for the RAF on Typhoons and Tempests and after the war test pilot on the Canberra, Lightning, and TSR2.

During the war he alternated his testing with periods of active service.

I had many lunches with him and later met at dinner parties. Quite something for me as he knew more than any pilot about the Typhoon and Tempest.

Lovely character soft spoken. He seemingly chewed each sentence before launching forward. A very fascinating man and quite something to be in his company. From him I squeezed out a lot of information. My senior by many years he always treated me, I was comparatively a young man, with great respect.

Laurie

[BarryW]

Now that's a coincidence , the wife's grandad served on the hood and was posted to the HMS Royal Arthur 4days before she set out on her last voyage , his name was Harry Williams and there's a good chance they new each other , isn't it a small world

My grandad was Harry Williams but not that one. He was on Repulse when it collided with Hood in the Med pre war. He served with Ltcmr (Sir)Peter Scott on the SGB flotilla based in Dover part of the war. Grey Seal was his boat.