Reminiscing

[williamalex1]

An earlier thread about retirement got me reminiscing, back to the 70s as a young electrician and some of the older tradesmen's tales.
One was auld Jimmy Lawson [65ish] who had been captured in France early on in the 2nd world war.
Somehow he'd got separated from his unit, stole a bike , he actually said he commandeered it.
He then cycled the wrong way into enemy lines, was captured and spent the rest of the war in a German prison of war camp.
At the time I thought it funny watching him lay down on his side to connect a wall socket, or stop half way up a double ladder carrying tools to tell me a silly story or joke.
Only now at 77 I realise why, as I need to lay down to change a socket or god forbid stop for breath halfway going up a double ladder carrying tools.

We also had an old German tradesman [ a tank commander ] I think was called Gunter something , who'd spent most of the war in a British POW camp.
They never actually worked together.

 

[Hobbit]

Sadly, it’s this ‘little’ histories that disappear as generations leave us. In my mum’s latter years she started writing down all the ‘little’ family histories.

Uncle Joe being torpedoed on a Malta convoy, and the Salvation Army feeding and clothing the crew when they got to Malta. On returning to the U.K. he was allocated to a ship about to sail to Russia in a convoy designated (infamously) PQ17. I think there’s around 4 exercise books of stories - a phenomenal social history. Stories of pet monkeys, ninja chickens & big Irish wakes. Of losing her father, elder sister and 3 brothers to TB, all within 13 months - no benefits/social security back in the 30’s.

I do remember a senior member at a club I was at in the late 80’s. He was one of the first relieving solders through the gates of Changi prison at the end of WW2. He was a great big gentle giant. On one occasion there was a 4 ball of Japanese players coming off the last green. Thankfully, he was inside the clubhouse…

 

[jim8flog]

These days I need to lie down before even considering wiring a socket.

 

[jim8flog]

When it comes down to telling war stories my FIL told them all the time but my father would never even let it be discussed. I only found out why after he died (nearly killed by friendly fire but everybody else in his squad was killed).
One of my memories of his war was them taking out a piece of shrapnel the size of a £1 coin from his leg when he was 70.