REMEMBERING

On the 6th June 1944, known as D Day, during the Second World War, the invasion of Europe began with Allied landings in Normandy.

I don't know exactly what these three men did during the war, but each would have a story to tell, I have no doubt.

At the top left is my father, Joseph, whom I never really knew, but who met my mother when they were both in the Army.  They separated when I was about 2 years old and I don't remember seeing him for any length of time after that.  I have very few photographs of him.  

He lived in the Lake District, and although I found him after searching for many years, unlike the television programme,  Long Lost Families, he would never see me, my husband or our two sons and died in 1986, having never seen us.  It is one of the great sadnesses of my life,  although whilst searching, I did find cousins I didn't know I had.  

Underneath is a photograph of Mr. HCB's uncle, Ernest, his father's brother, who was also in the Army but unfortunately, was killed in action on 10th July 1944.  He is buried in the Cemetery at Banneville-la-Campagne, a village in Normandy, 10 Km east of Caen.  We only found out a few years ago, when I was researching Mr. HCB'S family history, that Ernest had got married in 1942, just before he went off to war and in fact, his widow, Christine, who is now in her 90s, is still alive, although she did re-marry a few years later.  

When we met her a couple of years ago, she showed us this photograph, which she had kept in her purse ever since his death.  She gave Mr. HCB a Methodist Hymn Book, which Ernest had given to her in 1939, which of course, Mr. HCB now treasures.

The photograph on the right is Mr. HCB's father, Harry, who was a lovely man and was just like a father to me.  He did not actually fight in the war because his eyesight was bad, but he did serve as an Army cook in India.  

He was away from 1942, when Mr. HCB was a small baby and came back home in 1945.  Mr. HCB tells the tale that he didn't recognise his father so ran and hid under the dining room table and had to be cajoled from under the table with a bag of sweets. Harry died suddenly in 1977 and Mr. HCB says he never remembers hearing him speak about the war. 

Although the numbers cannot be confirmed, it is estimated that between 50 and 70 million people died due to the conflicts.  So very sad.

The poppies need no explanation.

“There is no flag large enough 
     to cover the shame 
          of killing innocent people.” 
Howard Zinn