He'd packed Douglas Bader’s new false legs

Mum had six brothers. The elder, Uncle Jim, served as a Fireman (he’d been an auxillary). Uncle, Joe, Uncle Bob and Uncle Charlie served in REME, each reaching the rank of Regimental Sergeant Major, as their father (my grandfather) had reached before them, in the Royal Sussex Regiment.

Uncle Joe was a survivor of Dunkirk, and several years after the war had ended, he showed us an ordinary exercise book, in which he’d written a ‘diary’, an account of his experiences, and his escape. At one point he’d hidden in a dustbin and watched a German patrol march by! Obviously, he was behind enemy lines.

Uncle Bob sent me some oranges while serving in Morocco. I still have the accompanying letter (4 Dec 1943) — censored by himself as official censor! He was sent to Italy, but before they were able to land, the ship was torpedoed. He was the only N.C.O. to be saved from drowning.

Uncle Charlie served his war in India. He was the youngest in the family and only 13 years older than me! He used to save stamps and got me interested, so when in India, he sent me lots of Indian stamps.

Uncle Jack went into the R.A.F. He served in Singapore, before it fell to the Japanese. He sent us a coconut, complete with outer shell! My cousins and I took it into my uncle’s shed and tried to get into it with a hacksaw to no avail. I can’t remember how the problem was solved but do remember that I didn’t like the taste of the ‘milk’.

He was then sent to Iceland! On one occasion several men went fishing, in a small boat, which drifted away, leaving them stranded on an ice floe! They were eventually rescued!

Later, he was stationed at Yangmere, which was very near to the family at Westbourne. He came home one day and told us that he’d packed Douglas Bader’s new false legs to send (via the Red Cross) to the POW camp where he was being held. He had been shot down, but baled out only to ‘buckle’ his tin legs on landing!

Uncle Len worked for the R.A.F. at Thorney Island (near Emsworth). He was a mechanic.

Mum also had three brothers-in-law. Uncle Bill was a farm hand, which was a reserved occupation. He was the one who caught the rabbits, either with his ferrets or the shot gun which he had in the cab of his combine harvester. The rabbits ran out of the cereal as it was being cut. They certainly helped the meat ration!

Uncle Wally worked on the Motor Torpedo Boats at Shoreham Harbour — also reserved.

Uncle Ern was in the Royal Observer Corps. He could tell what a plane was just by the sound of its engine, before it was visible. This was his peacetime occupation, but it was an asset to the wartime effort. However, when the forces were getting desperate for men, he was eventually called up and drafted, not into the obvious R.A.F., but into the Infantry! He served in Egypt, then eventually to Italy.

In August 1944, Mum and I received a letter from him telling us that they’d been to Rome: ‘had a look round Vatican City, and St Peter’s Church. Seen the Pope in a special chapel’. The King had visited them and they’d lined the roadside, so had a good view of him and the ‘brass hats’ who had accompanied him.

He asked if the flying bombs were bothering us too much and hoped that they would be stopped soon. He also hoped that we’d be seeing him soon. Sadly, he was ‘killed in action’ a month later. He is buried in Italy in a war cemetery. His daughter was only 18 months old and only saw him twice. I remember being very upset as I was very close to him.

Dad also lost a young Guardsman cousin. Mum had a distant cousin stationed here from Canada. He was made very welcome by all the family. In 1944 I answered a letter which he’d sent me. This was returned to me with the corner of the envelope missing. The letter, when opened has a hole in the middle of it but my address is still visible, enabling it to be returned to me. It is marked “Damaged by Enemy Action 1/12/44” and I still have it.

This story was submitted to the People's War site by volunteer Sue Craig on behalf of Beryl Tucknott, and has been added to the site with her permission. Beryl fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

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