Hello,
My Dad died last year he was nearly 90 and had served in the Light Infantry during WW2. He never talked that much about his time in the Army so we assumed he found it difficult to talk about so we never asked him much. We new he enjoyed his time in the Army "with the Jocks" as he used to say, was in France, Belgum and Germany and crossed the Rhine during the final push towards Berlin. He admired the German Soldier as an fighter and an enemy, did not like the brash and arrrogant Americans, and said the Russian soldiers were unnecissarily brutal.
He was in the Royal Artillery during the Battle of Britain then The Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry and finaly we believe The Highland Light Infantry 52nd Lowland Division. When I was clearing his house I found his Identity Papers, his Soldiers Service Book and his Discharge Papers and they made such interesting reading thet I have now sent for his Service Records from the MOD.
For any of you that are interested, I have attached some parts for you to have a look at, as you can see his service record was described as "Exemplary" on his discharge papers and he did some interesting traing, and was a marksman with a number of weapons.
Dad was from Barnsley in Yorkshire and moved to Birmingham when he was 16 at his Mothers request so that he did not have to work down the mines like his Dad. Then he met my Mom, an ex Summer Lane girl and married her in 1942 and they lived on Dovedale Road with my Mom's family. After the war they broke into the camp on Moor Lane and lived there with other ex servicemen. It was called Sunnyview Camp and became Lucas's Sports Ground, so much for a "Land Fit For Heros". eventualy they got a prefab on Hurstwood Road and finaly the house I was born in and where Mom and Dad died in Watney Grove opposite the old Colledge Arms.
My Dad died last year he was nearly 90 and had served in the Light Infantry during WW2. He never talked that much about his time in the Army so we assumed he found it difficult to talk about so we never asked him much. We new he enjoyed his time in the Army "with the Jocks" as he used to say, was in France, Belgum and Germany and crossed the Rhine during the final push towards Berlin. He admired the German Soldier as an fighter and an enemy, did not like the brash and arrrogant Americans, and said the Russian soldiers were unnecissarily brutal.
He was in the Royal Artillery during the Battle of Britain then The Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry and finaly we believe The Highland Light Infantry 52nd Lowland Division. When I was clearing his house I found his Identity Papers, his Soldiers Service Book and his Discharge Papers and they made such interesting reading thet I have now sent for his Service Records from the MOD.
For any of you that are interested, I have attached some parts for you to have a look at, as you can see his service record was described as "Exemplary" on his discharge papers and he did some interesting traing, and was a marksman with a number of weapons.
Dad was from Barnsley in Yorkshire and moved to Birmingham when he was 16 at his Mothers request so that he did not have to work down the mines like his Dad. Then he met my Mom, an ex Summer Lane girl and married her in 1942 and they lived on Dovedale Road with my Mom's family. After the war they broke into the camp on Moor Lane and lived there with other ex servicemen. It was called Sunnyview Camp and became Lucas's Sports Ground, so much for a "Land Fit For Heros". eventualy they got a prefab on Hurstwood Road and finaly the house I was born in and where Mom and Dad died in Watney Grove opposite the old Colledge Arms.
