posted 08-23- 06:45 PM               

I just found out that a friend of mine died recently. His name was Joe Buckley. He served with the Highland Brigade and was still in France after the evacation of dunkirk. Yesh the british were still in France after this. He told me he was near paris when the British were evacuating from dunkirk. I also know another war verteran Jock, he was captured at dunkirk, but sadly he has died too. Any Joe managed to get out with his brigade and he served the 71s Highland regiment and training for winter warfare. In 1944 he was in the XXX corps, trying to reach Arhiem, he told me he saw the british paratrooper drop and knew that they were getting a pasting, but he coud not do anything. He had found memories of Belgium and Holland from the war. It is sad now that he is his gone. I will miss his talks about his pals, some how it kept them alive. Any way he is at rest now. Joe was 86 (I think)

Spar a thought. They are all going fast.

posted 08-23- 09:26 PM               

I would like to know some war vets, I would think that they wouldn't want to talk about it though.

posted 08-24- 12:17 AM            

Recently there was a news item on TV saying how WWII vets are now passing on at an alarming rate. Soon we'll have nothing but books, pictures and film to tell the story of this war.

posted 08-24- 03:57 AM            

Thanks to all of them we're still free and I'll never forget...

posted 08-24- 04:52 AM               

yes I know what you mean, I did not talk to my gran, because she lived through the blitzs in Manchester and her son was killed by a bomb, he was only 13. Any way if I asked her about the war she would just tell to shut up. I guess it must of been terrifying for her. She lived right in the city centre of Manchester (ardwick) which got a real pasting by the german air force, I it terrified her.

Every time I see the old folk. I always ask them in around about way what it was like during thoughs terrible years. Some say it was scary as hell and others say they had a blast. One of my ex niegbours said he spent most of war in Eqypt having a good time, while one guy told me, that he was having a good time while dropping at wolfhaezel in Arnhiem. He said he was caught in the trees after his DC-10 he had was piloting was shot down. I asked him if he was scared and he said no. I think he was on high, cause he saw alot going on, I think also said something about the mentally ill people coming out of the near by asylum as well. Also I met one guy while I was a historical tour in Arhiem, it was just before the 50th celebrations of the drop on Arnheim. He was an old paratrooper and we were all near the brigde, where frost held out for nearly seven days. Any how there is a big church near there. I think one of the only buildings still there, and he told me, do you see the holes in the church wall, and I said yes. Well he siad I saw them being made. Needless to say that it blew my mind away, living history standing right before me. I hope he is ok now. I also put a english 2 pence coin into the grave of an english soldier, I felt abit sorry for him cause he was so far away from home.

pretty sad really

posted 08-24- 05:47 AM               

My own grandfather was in french resistance, helping jude people to stay alive.
Born in 1899, he had the chance to stay alive at Verdun in 1918. When the WWII came, he did not hesitate to go on the fight against the barbary. Beside my opinion, that's certainly the reason I can't fly any german planes.

When he told me all his stories, I was too young to have in mind that it should be good to make his biography.

posted 08-24- 08:50 AM               

Well I have no known WWII hero in my family but the stories of my granddads is interesting. My mom's dad was basically saved by the British when they evecuated him in Dunkirk. Only a few weeks later the same Royal Navy bombed the French Navy in Mers-el-Kebir, when my other granddad happened to be as a naval officer. He escaped the bombing but, as you may know, 1200 sailors and officers were killed this day. Unfortunately I never heard his side of the story as he was lost at sea in the 1960's.