Veterans...

[Bf109_g]

Hi guys!

Just thought I'd put this out there for you if you've have talked to any WW2 veterans. I've talked to my aunty's friend, who flew Short Stirlings, and towed gliders during Arnhem and D-Day; my second cousin, who flew in Avro Lancasters on Pathfinder duties during 1944-45, and I'm going to be visting an ex-Pathfinder Force navigator, Ernie Mawson, D.F.C., this weekend to tak to him... I think if you have a family member who served during WW2, see if they'll talk to you about what they did, before they aren't around...

James.

[lesofprimus]

Many threads about this same subject already exixst here... Do a search and visit them...

[DOUGRD]

Originally Posted by Bf109_g

Hi guys!

I'm going to be visting an ex-Pathfinder Force navigator, Ernie Mawson, D.F.C., this weekend to tak to him... I think if you have a family member who served during WW2, see if they'll talk to you about what they did, before they aren't around...

James.

How about a favor? Report back here next week and tell us everything he said. I just finished a book about Bomber Command and it told some very hairy tales about the pathfinders.

[evangilder]

It's always a good idea to tape them, if you can. If not, write everything you can remember down while it is still fresh in your mind. You won't regret it later.

[trackend]

My old man has written a short booklet on his personal experiences from 39 -45
a couple of local school teachers took it into class for the kids as part of their lessons. The most obvious thing to come out of it, is that everyman s war is different even compared to those along side him .
It may be inaccurate with some of the technical bits but that makes it all the more personal and it is usually the better educated guys that produce this kind of thing so coming from an ordinary joe makes a change.

[Negative Creep]

I never knew until I'd left school that my classmate's grandad was one of those on the mini submarines that attacked the Tirpitz

[trackend]

People just see old men now days but many of them did things as young guys that are remarkable and they probable had more bottle than most soft living civis could ever imagine.
A guy I know from my home town is all twisted with a humpty back and uses a walking stick now, but in the war he was in no 3 commando doing night raids across the channel and could have eaten these so called street gang toughies with one arm tied behind his back.