VE DAY 75TH ANNIVERSARY 1945 2020
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VE DAY 75TH ANNIVERSARY
1945 - 2020
EST. 2020 FRIDAY 8 MAY 2020 HURST COLLEGE SPECIAL EDITION
FROM THE GRAY FAMILY last decade. He fought in Northern FROM THE LAUCHARD FAMILY
My Grandmother Bessie Barber France for several years leading an I wanted to send on a VE Day story of
aged 23 when war broke out, was anti-aircraft gun brigade and was a great Uncle of Francois. He was in
assigned to the Royal Army Pay then moved into logistics, where the RAF and shot down in his plane and
Corps, Whitehall. She knew where every day he would have to work
lost his leg. He was taken as a prisoner
the troops were going before they out safe routes in and out for the
support vehicles to ensure the men of war and was one of the first to be
did, and recalls setting up mobile on the front were supplied with repatriated. The attached photo was
pay units at the docks prior to medicines, food and clothes. taken on his return home. It was
D- Day to ensure the soldiers were FROM THE HALL FAMILY Today’s huge logistical problems subsequently used at the cover for the
paid before they embarked for I thought I would share with you with lockdown are bringing what a George Orwell book - The Lion and the
Europe. On VE Day she was this picture of my grandfather, challenge that must have been into Unicorn.
outside Buckingham Palace with Peter Floyd, Freddie and Joe Hall’s stark focus! The photo shows him
her boss, Captain Eric Harvey and great grandfather, receiving the aged 100 receiving the medal and
enjoyed her evening at the Legion d’Honeur from the French in the foreground him as he was in
Chesterfield Hotel, Knightsbridge, Ambassador a few years ago in WW2
where Bomber Harris and his gratitude for the part he played in
liberating the north of France from
retinue were also celebrating. Her the occupation when he was a
husband, my grandfather Bert, was Major with the Scots Guards. Sadly
in the“forgotten army” in Burma he died, aged 103, in the middle of
and didn’t return to England until March - fortuitously before
October 26th 1946! Bessie never Covid-19 struck - but he and his
tired of telling me that the war was stories of the war have been a great
the best time of her life. Please see source of amusement and
Bessie pictured to the right. information for the boys over the
the more valuable and coveted. These 12th 1940 family told he was alive FROM THE NOON FAMILY
stories are vital and should never be and prisoner of war- injured but” Attached photo of my father, Sophie
forgotten. extent of injuries not known.” and William Noon’s grandfather
Telegram confirming he was a William Pyzer who was in the RAF
prisoner of war and alive after all said. during WW2.
“Regret any trouble caused by this
error.”And as soon as he was
repatriated In 1943 they were
married and went on to have 2
FROM THE SCHUTTE FAMILY children, married for 55 years.
VE Day in our household is an What a story.
emotional day of Remembrance.
My father was a pilot flying Lancasters,
Spitfires and Dakotas during WWII. FROM THE HOLMES FAMILY
He made many trips to Holland in As a fellow historian I wanted to
attempts to free it. Ted is following in respond to your email about VE Day.
his footsteps as a cadet in the CCF. He The photograph to the right is of Arthur
has thoughts of potentially joining the and Madge Peck (on their wedding day
RAF as a pilot in the future. My day) who were Matt, Ollie and Izzie’s
husband’s parents were young great grandparents. Arthur was a
teenagers in Holland during the navigator in a Wellington bomber and FROM THE JASKIEWICZ FAMILY
occupation and suffered terribly during was shot down over Belgium in A photo of my great uncle, Tadeusz Su-
these times. The house that his father September 1940 and ended up in a linski (second from left) who fought in
was born in and still lives in today has prisoner of war camp until 1943. the Warsaw Uprising in 1944.
an oak tree that bares the scars of an Unfortunately the message the family
attempt to cut it down to make fuel. received was he was missing in action,
The street they live in has a permanent then subsequently he was confirmed
monument where resistence fighters dead. Madge refused to believe this.
were shot on the last day of the war. This is from my mother-in-law -
In these terrible times that we are Arthurs’s daughter: November 8th 1940
enduring currently our freedom is all family told he was dead. December
FROM THE WYLLIE FAMILY by John Nichol and Tony Rennell, drew on crime, pointing out that the railways being attachment.The aircraft’s mission had to be
his experiences.William Bruce Wyllie was used to transport Wehrmacht troops from- aborted - but the crew’s initial anger later
born at Teulon, Manitoba, on July 31 1922. West to East were a perfectly legitimate turned to heartfelt thanks when the rest of
In 1933 the family returned to Britain to set military target. the squadron suffered a 24 per cent casualty
up a retail clothing and furniture business at Later in February 1945 Wyllie took part in rate that night. While off duty on another
Ripley, Surrey. Bruce was sent to Brighton night raids on Rositz, Bohlen, Mittland and occasion, Wyllie was driving some friends
Grammar School, leaving aged 16 to work in a daylight attack on Ladbergen, a total of from their base, RAF East Kirkby in
in a business that by the 1970s was to grow more than 40 hours’ operational flying time Lincolnshire, to a nearby pub when they saw
into eight mini-department stores. A keen in the space of only 11 days. a Lancaster crash in flames into a nearby
cricketer, he trialled for Surrey. That April he also took part in raids on cottage. Wyllie drove to the scene and they
His other sport of the 1930s, shooting, Nordhausen, Leipzig, Ludzkendorf and helped pull the survivors clear of the
An obituary from The Telegraph of Honor’s taught him the concepts of swinging Flensburg. By the end of the war he had burning wreckage. Driving one of the
grandfather, who was a tail-end Charlie in a through a target and firing slightly ahead of clocked up more than 168 daytime and 126 victims to the air base hospital, Wyllie put
Lancaster bomber squadron. it to allow for the speed of the moving lead. night-time hours aloft. Although he his hand reassuringly on the man’s exposed
Bruce Wyllie was a charming, sweet-na- Unbeknownst to him at the time, these were certainly shot down one German fighter, his knee. Skin came off on his hand.
tured, open-hearted man and a fine husband soon to prove invaluable. claim of a second one had to be shared with With the appallingly high casualty rate
and father 12:01AM BST 17 Apr 2008 Having failed to join Fighter Command another plane. suffered by Bomber Command, Wyllie
Bruce “Titch” Wyllie, who has died aged because of his poor mathematics, Wyllie Wyllie put his survival down to the trust considered the whole of the rest of his life
85, was a rear-gunner (“tail-end Charlie”) was told that the best way to see action with that had quickly developed between himself to be an unexpected bonus, and he enjoyed
in Lancasters with 57 Squadron of Bomber only six months’ training was to be a tail- and the pilot, who would “corkscrew” the it to the full.Bruce Wyllie was a charming,
Command, whose very first operation was end Charlie, and he volunteered for Bomber Lancaster down and away when he warned sweet-natured, open-hearted man, a
the famous Dresden Raid. It was not until Command. him that they were fastened on to by enemy generous host and a fine husband and father.
half a century had passed that Wyllie could The Dresden Raid on the night of fighters, as well as to the skill of their nav- The success of his business, now trading
be prevailed upon to speak of his wartime February 13 1945 involved a 10 -hour igator, a Mancunian maths teacher called under the name Wyllie and Mar of Ripley,
past. When finally he did, he recalled a round trip which he remembered vividly Bennett, who was able to reconfigure sched- meant that he could indulge his sports of
number of harrowing, terrifying but for the rest of his life. He recalled how, at ules and courses in his mind after the shooting, skiing, golf, sailing his yacht at
ultimately hugely rewarding experiences the intelligence briefing beforehand, it was corkscrew manoeuvre. Cap Ferrat and driving Bentleys and Jaguars.
that helped a number of historians to try to emphasised that the target would be the On one occasion, when the electronically Bruce Wyllie, who died on February 11,
visualise what it must have been like to take vast railway marshalling yards on the heated filaments in his flying jacket caught married, in 1952, Alex Carson, a classical-
part in the great bombing raids against outskirts of the city, rather than the town fire just as his Lancaster was taxiing for ly trained ballet dancer, who died last year.
Germany during the Second World War. itself. After the war he had little time for take-off, Wyllie had to leap out, but was They had three sons and a daughter.
Tail-End Charlies (2006), the history book those who tried to depict the raid as a war dragged along behind by his intercom
FROM THE STEEDMAN FAMILY bought some little foil wrapped FROM THE LAMB FAMILY FROM THE WILLIS FAMILY
This is something my sister made for chocolates for Jean for Christmas . This is by Issy Lamb’s grandfather 2 projects that the girls had made back
the residents in my parents care home One night when the bombs were so who was a doctor and war artist - in their Primary School many years ago
to celebrate VE day bad her Mum let her eat the chocolates Henry Lamb. We have this painting at to commemorate their ancestor’s
as they didn’t know if they would home and the Victoria Cross he was experience of WW2.
survive. awarded. (More information about
On VE day 75 years ago today Graces him online).
Nana was at a street party in Coventry
celebrating the end of the war , she said
she remembers being put on a chair and
everybody singing happy birthday to
her. They then all danced around the
streets singing and dancing!
FROM THE MCCRACKEN FAMILY Thought you would like to see this
Graces Nana , Jean Edwards is 82 photo of Grace’s Nana on VE Day
today! She was brought up in the today aged 82!
middle of Coventry. She was an only-
child at the time and her mum did not
want her evacuated to the country with
the other children that went. She said
if they were going to die she wanted
them all to die together! They had an
air raid shelter at the bottom of their
garden. Coventry was badly hit
during the war as everybody knows.
Graces Nana remembers being in
the air raid shelter one time and they
were so scared as they could hear the
bombs falling around them. Her mum
had saved her ration coupons and had
FROM THE RINGER FAMILY FROM THE HIGGINS FAMILY
This is a photo that my mother in Socially distanced street party in
law sent of her street party in our little lane with Michael Mance
Cambridge to celebrate VE Day. and wife, Christine Dean (both
She was two and a half at the time. these are ex-hurst staff) and Sally
Brompton from the Mill opposite.
They are all octogenarians so
we’re going to hear all about their
stories of the first VE day party in
1970 (Sally was at Trafalgar Square
for that one). Sally is organising
1940’s music, we’re making
sandwiches and scones, attire is red,
white and blue of course and we’ve FROM THE DI CASTIGLIONE FAMILY
made bunting to decorate the lane. Fin and Sam di Castiglione celebrated by having a social
FROM THE MACEY DARE FAMILY
distancing street party. We had 1940s music and paper
I attach a photograph of Portia’s
aeroplane competitions with our neighbours!
great grandfather’s medals from
both wars.
FROM THE JEMISON FAMILY guardsman was given one shilling. In 1944, I was then sent on a
What VE Day Means to Me by More training was also done for battleship to Naples in Italy, but
Grace Jemison other ceremonies, including seven days later I was wounded
Trooping the Colour - the Queen’s and sent to hospital. I re-joined the
birthday parade. battalion but was wounded again at
Monte Casino. At this time, I was
On 3rd September 1939, war was declared unfit for further service on
declared. We were on manoeuvres the front-line.’
on Salisbury Plain at the time. It
was therefore back to barracks to Remembering VE Day is important
hand in our red dress uniforms, to me because my Great Uncle Roy
including our bear skins, and to took part in it. Before he recently
be issued with khaki blouses and died, I asked him about his time in
battle dress. the war, and he told me this.
On 29th September 1939, I left
Remembering VE Day is Plymouth by troop-ship, arrived
important to me because my in Northwest France, and then
Great Uncle Roy took part in it. travelled across France in cattle
Before he recently died, I asked trucks to Northeast France.
him about his time in the war, and On 10th May 1940, Germany
he told me this: Uncle Roy in his invaded Belgium. We went via
uniform My uncle gave me his Brussels to Lorraine, on the
uniform to keep My Uncle Roy border. The Germans pushed the
with my sister and I ‘In 1938, whole of the British forces back to
I joined the Coldstream Guards the Dunkirk beaches where it was
where I was posted to Chelsea every man for himself. It was
Barracks in London to do guard pandemonium. I was lucky to
duties at Buckingham Palace and get on a boat at Dunkirk
the Bank of England. Coming off Harbour which meant that I landed
guard at the Bank, every in Ramsgate on 2nd June.
FROM THE GAUSDEN FAMILY Warden - whilst fatherIng ten Then went to Nutts Corner Operational Training Unit (Transport)
Picture of their Nan Barbara in the children! No Tv/Internet in Northern Ireland for three months’ further training on
VE Day parade 1945. obviously! Wellingtons. Here the freshly trained personnel formed into crews,
Arthur joined Andy Malcolm (pilot) and Bill Handworth (wireless
His son - also an Arthur Gausden operator/air gunner). They were posted to RAF Lyneham, Wilt-
-was a Navigator on Wellingtons shire in September 1943 where they were converted to Halifaxes.
and Halifax bombers. You didn’t
need to be mad to fly on these Thisinvolved transport duties delivering planes to Rabat, Gibraltar,
things - but it helped! They simply Algiers, Cairo, Bari and other places including one to India. On
couldn’t fly on one engine if you one flight extra tanks had to be fitted to give greater range. There
lost one. So as not to dishonour was a complicated switching arrangement and half a minute after
his (Arthur’s) service -I’ll cut and it was completed both engines stopped. The plane dropped from
paste in full. A family historian 7,500 to 1,000 feet in 20 seconds. Arthur reversed the switching
recorded that during WW2: procedure to go back to the original tanks which worked and the
engines re- started. The extra tanks had not been filled with fuel.
And a story about their Great Arthur was sent to Bridgenorth, Arthur was 21 at the time!
Grandfather ‘Arthur’ & Great Shropshire for ground
Uncle -also ‘Arthur.’ navigation school. Starting pay ]
Their Great Grandfather was was 2/6d a day. Was then posted to
wounded by shrapnel in the Llandurog North Wales, on the
trenches in WW1, but because of a coast with Snowdon in the
shortage of manpower ( too many background, for flying training
deceased!) - he was patched-up school for navigators. At the end
and sent to ground duties -still on of navigation school he was asked
the frontline in France. He became if he wished to take a commission
a ‘Rigger’ in the Royal Flying and said yes but his reply was
Core -the predecessor to the RAF. never delivered so he was still a
He served till the cessation of sergeant on leaving. Pay went up to
hostilities when he was demobbed. 7/6d per day.
In WW2 he worked in munition
factories and was an Air Raid
Wellington. On Friday March 25 that if he could find a volunteer to 1944 (the date has been checked take his place he need not go but in the navigator’s log) the unit - no volunteer was forthcoming. No 1 Transport Unit - flew from As the plane was on the runway Lyneham to Pershore. They ready to go another navigator arrived to an extremely cool landed at the airfield, ran across reception from the WAAFs. to Arthur’s plane and offered to This was because they were go in his place. Arthur accepted replacing a group of Canadians - and the wedding went ahead. well paid, well dressed Canadians. In fact his replacement was able The following Saturday there to make it back from Cairo in was a most unwelcoming time to attend.Arthur was welcome dance. Arthur went posted back to Nutts Corner with some friends and told where he made Staff (i.e. became them he was going to pick the an instructor) a promotion due most miserable looking WAAF in no small part apparently to his Halifax. Arthur was extremely fortunate to survive the notorious ‘death to dance with (privately prowess in football. The whole traps’ that were British Bombers in the early 1940’s. afterwards he admitted he’d unit was posted to Riccal near picked the best looking). Joan was Selby in Yorkshire. Joan was His brothers - twins John and David ( the last of ten children) - learned apparently not terribly still in Pershore. His last posting to keep their feet on the ground and were both enlisted into the Royal encouraging at first (“what’s your was to RAF Dishforth near Engineers. Sadly - twin John passed five years ago but Luke And Ava name?”; “mind your own Rippon. The war ended. Joan are lucky to have both their Grand Parents to celebrate - perhaps a ‘ business”) but nonetheless they and Arthur were both demobbed, virtual’ VE Day with them both via Face Time etc? were soon engaged and married Joan in 1945 when she went I wonder what the ‘Arthur’s’ above would have made of virtual in nine months on 2nd December back to Dewsbury. Arthur spent a anything? They were simply doing their duty as Gausden’s have since 1944. The wedding was very lot of time hitch-hiking between pre 1066. nearly cancelled. One week Dishforth and Dewsbury. Arthur before, he was sent on a delivery was demobbed as a Warrant Perhaps Luke or Ava will follow in their Footsteps. trip to Cairo from which he would Officer in 1946. They remained He’s going to hate me for this pic with our friend Colonel Etherington not be able to get back in time. married throughout their full Apache Squadron 2014. Mind you - hair is now a similar length due The Commanding Officer said lives. Rest in peace. lock down.
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