V J Day

[Halfhound 129]

Fair play lads ye should be proud and never let the people who come after ye forget the family history it’s very important 

[WILF 49,947]

7 minutes ago, mushroom said:

You would believe me if I told you my grandad had similar. 

Gave their lives and sanity for a government who didn't respect them... Sound familiar?

 

He resolutely refused to buy a poppy as well strangely enough and when I, as a young patriotic lad, used to ask why he’d say “They shit on us and It won’t  bring my pals back”

I still bought one as an adult and he would buy me one when I was a boy but he never had one, ever.

Edited 17 hours ago by WILF

[jukel123 9,416]

Where I grew up in Salford in the fifties the whole landscape was flattened by German bombs. Many of the houses were damaged by bombs but people still lived in them.

My granny lived in a house with a hole in the roof caused by a bomb. The whole of the upstairs of the hovel was wet through with rain and full of pigeon shit. The stairs were out of bounds to me as they were completely rotten.

My grandad got no war pension and they still had to pay rent.

[jukel123 9,416]

3 minutes ago, WILF said:

He resolutely refused to buy a poppy as well strangely enough and when I, as a young patriotic lad, used to ask why he’d say “They shit on us and It won’t  bring my pals back”

I still bought one as an adult and he would buy me one when I was a boy but he never had one, ever.

I absolutely understand and respect  that.

[WILF 49,947]

Just now, jukel123 said:

Where I grew up in Salford in the fifties the whole landscape was flattened by German bombs. Many of the houses were damaged by bombs but people still lived in them.

My granny lived in a house with a hole in the roof caused by a bomb. The whole of the upstairs of the hovel was wet through with rain and full of pigeon shit. The stairs were out of bounds to me as they were completely rotten.

My grandad got no war pension and they still had to pay rent.

Some things never change so they mate 

[jukel123 9,416]

Just now, WILF said:

Some things never change so they mate 

Well it wasn't a land fit for heroes was it?  When they treat war heroes like that.

[WILF 49,947]

Just now, jukel123 said:

Well it wasn't a land fit for heroes was it?  When they treat war heroes like that.

No mate, it wasn’t….and it only got worse.

[Seagull 661]

One of the best 30 mins of my life bumping in to this chap on his travels to France in memory of the Normandy Landings. It just shows the metal of these men who went through two World Wars and managed to live normal lives and carry on afterwards.

 

 

[mushroom 14,079]

Gentlemen let's keep this a good thread in honour of those who fought and fell.

Seagull that is a great picture and it's up to you to keep that man's story alive.

Please if you would, share it here so we can all honour him and his mates

 

[jukel123 9,416]

A bit more of a light hearted story. In 1945 my mam and dad were living in a tiny caravan. They were both enthusiastic  catholics and my eldest brother soon arrived. 

Because of their dire housing conditions they were given a brand new prefab . It was actually where the rest of 9 brood were born.

My mam and dad went to collect the keys and the snotty housing clerk handed over the keys with a sarcastic " dont be keeping coal in the bath". My old man was not chuffed and had to be dragged out shouting " I'm keeping water in the bath to drown you when you come round to collect the rent ya b*****d".

Prefabs were brilliant . We had a garden, indoor toilet and a gas cooker and fridge. We were a cut above. My Mrs was brought up in a typical two and  two down with an outside toilet. I always tell her I married beneath myself.

[WILF 49,947]

5 minutes ago, jukel123 said:

A bit more of a light hearted story. In 1945 my mam and dad were living in a tiny caravan. They were both enthusiastic  catholics and my eldest brother soon arrived. 

Because of their dire housing conditions they were given a brand new prefab . It was actually where the rest of 9 brood were born.

My mam and dad went to collect the keys and the snotty housing clerk handed over the keys with a sarcastic " dont be keeping coal in the bath". My old man was not chuffed and had to be dragged out shouting " I'm keeping water in the bath to drown you when you come round to collect the rent ya b*****d".

Prefabs were brilliant . We had a garden, indoor toilet and a gas cooker and fridge. We were a cut above. My Mrs was brought up in a typical two and  two down with an outside toilet. I always tell her I married beneath myself.

Similar story, my old man went and stole things and bought a wardrobe full of hand made suit's and a nice motor here and there…..lol 

My wife’s grandad came home and carried on as a professional painter and decorator (had done the proper 5 year apprenticeship as you did in those days) and started a little decorators shop with his wife. 
 

[WILF 49,947]

19 minutes ago, Seagull said:

One of the best 30 mins of my life bumping in to this chap on his travels to France in memory of the Normandy Landings. It just shows the metal of these men who went through two World Wars and managed to live normal lives and carry on afterwards.

 

 

Cracking stuff mate, as Mushroom said, I’d love to hear his tale.

[mushroom 14,079]

5 minutes ago, WILF said:

Similar story, my old man went and stole things and bought a wardrobe full of hand made suit's and a nice motor here and there…..lol 

My wife’s grandad came home and carried on as a professional painter and decorator (had done the proper 5 year apprenticeship as you did in those days) and started a little decorators shop with his wife. 
 

They had no choice but to come back and continue!

They still suffered but like men they had to suffer in silence in them days.

Kinell 25 years earlier men were shot for shell shock (PTSD).

A generation "almost" broken and still found the strength to continue and rebuild. Built differently to todays wankers.

Edited 16 hours ago by mushroom

[jukel123 9,416]

20 minutes ago, WILF said:

Similar story, my old man went and stole things and bought a wardrobe full of hand made suit's and a nice motor here and there…..lol 

My wife’s grandad came home and carried on as a professional painter and decorator (had done the proper 5 year apprenticeship as you did in those days) and started a little decorators shop with his wife. 
 

My old man was a prolific thief . I almost said successful. He was for the most part but disappeared for 18 months once and I put 2 and 2 together.

 Whilst he was away I never noticed any dropping of our standard of living. Food used to regularly arrive from the docks just as it did before. His mates looked after us and he must have had money hidden away.

He was a genuine kleptomaniac. If he went into a cafe he would steal the salt, pepper and the lighbulbs,soap and shit paper from the toilet. Anything that was not tied down or locked up. Seriously. Hard times bred hard resourceful people.

He was a docker, a reserved occupation but he did his bit as well. Lots of sleepless nights warning of Luftwaffe attack and putting out fires. And then unloading ships during the day.

He once stole a goose from the local park for Christmas dinner.

The whole community was horrified. It became part of Salford folklore. There was a big spread in the local paper about it. Even my teacher was going on about such an awful thing. I kept stum of course and couldn't help thinking it tasted OK so couldn't have been that bad a thing to do. I told my Mrs that when I met her and my father in law fell about laughing and said he always suspected my dad had done it.

 

. 

Edited 16 hours ago by jukel123

[Seagull 661]

3 minutes ago, WILF said:

Cracking stuff mate, as Mushroom said, I’d love to hear his tale.

Funnily enough I didn't ask his name, but I found out who he was, it was around 2016 and I knew there wasn't many of them left.

I'm not sure if he was actually involved in combat on the beaches as he was a driver, but, no less of a hero, he knew full well before that that day could have been his last, it doesn't get any braver than that.

 

https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/people/sheffield-ww2-hero-cyril-elliot-103-marks-birthday-with-town-hall-celebration-and-message-from-king-4179680