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VE DAY

G

Grace

Guest
On VE Day 08 May I will be thinking of Charlie who was captured by the Germans and escaped from an Italian pow camp to make his way home. Arthur who was away from home for years and fought at Anzio. Finally Frank whose family didn't know he was still alive. It would be some months before VJ Day. He was captured by the Japanese and put to work on the Burma railway and came home a very different man.
Thinking of Charlie, Arthur and Frank and all those brave men and women who fought on foreign fields and here at home for the freedom we enjoy today. Not forgetting those wonderful women who kept the home fires burning. Thank you.
 
My apologies everyone - I wasn't aware that it was VE Day. I was very moved by the posting Di put on of the letter from the trenches.
April 25 here is ANZAC Day and brings memories of me attending many, many Anzac Day ceremonies with my late father. He would never march or wear his medals, as that would have been somehow glorifying the war in his eyes. He (Brummie born) served in the Middle East and New Guinea. I have actually seen him after his death on old film of the Aussie soldiers emerging from the Kokoda Trail in New Guinea as it was then. He was riddled with malaria and weighed about 7 stone when he arrived in Port Morseby. He had no hatred against the Japanese and said they were only doing their duty as he had done his. Somehow I think he'd seen some terrible things done on our side that were better left unsaid and which we will probably never know about.
On the other hand, we in southern Australia never knew that Darwin had been bombed (19 Feb 1942) with over 200 dead.
Mankind has always had its wars - it is time we evolved! We (humankind) are grown up now and should know better! I heard today on the radio a quote which was something about us turning our apathy around - could have been a quote by Bono I'm not sure.
Let us all pray to our gods for world peace...The answer my friend is blowing in the wind....
 
I put my thoughts in a different place Grace. But I echo yours here, as I knew two men imprisoned by the Japanese. They could never talk of their time in enemy hands, but both had a hate in their hearts that must have been hard to bear.

God Bless them both.
 
My cousin Thomas Price who lived in 5 Ashford St was killed by the Japanese he was with the Chindits in Burma. I remember him at this time as a lovely man even though I was so young.
We also had a lovely Bonfire party in Milton Street on VE day.
 
Good morning Alf,
Thought I would drop you a line asking if you had seen Alan Mawson's "Victory 1945" print. It measures 14" x 19" and is well worth getting. The price is £3 per print plus 75p p.p. Alan recalls the street party in Hope Street [off Gooch St] and many other images he saw at those parties. I purchased several and posted them off to friends in Canada, NZ and Australia and they loved the prints.
If you would like the details let me know.

So important that we should never, ever forget the sacrifices.
Cheers,
Grace
 
V E Day

Have just received a Canadian Newspaper (The Ottawa Citizen) and read an article about a Canadian Vet ,Harold Prout, who landed D-day, and lost his lower jaw,and part of his tongue. He now has to wear a mask.He becameknown as the man in the plaster mask, The phantom of the war.His disfiguring wound seems to have been too unpleasant,and until now,his story hasn't been told in the mainstream media, it should be, because Freedom has it's price. just one of the tragedie's of war
In the 55years of his married life to his lovely wife Gwen, he has never been able to kiss her,all his food has to be put through a blender,and then fed a spoonful at a time through a special glass tube with a rubber bulb on the end.
They never go out to dine as he does not want to cause any embarresment, because he wears this mask, which has nothing underneath He is no whinger,only too glad to be alive. In Ottawa they have this bumper sticker .........
If you can read this,thank your teacher,if it is in English Thank the Veterans. Thank you all Vets everywhere
Dennis
 
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