Couple pics of my grandad WWII

polkey

polkey

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My grandfather gave me a couple pics of him from WWII, He mainly served in the middle east but he was also in north africa and italy, he was in the battle of monte cassino and the battle of britain. Here are a couple pics of him mostly in basra iraq but also a couple in england when he was part of a team that operated im guessing an anti-aircraft gun. One mentions shooting down a dormier 215 with one shot. Some of the notes on the back he added right before he gave them to me so im thinking he might have rememberd some of the dates wrong.He told me his unit was the 61st HAARA but i couldn't find any info on it.
Originaly posted them here. http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?176866-Couple-pics-of-my-grandfather-basra-1940
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A very enjoyable post Polkey, Thanks for sharing with us.
My Dad went over in 1939, also on AA duty during the Battle of Britain, and then on to the Mediterranean and Sicily / Italy.
 
I once knew an old bagpipe maker who served with the 8th army {British} during WW2 in North Africa. Over some drinks he started to reminisce about this time and mentioned Egypt. I asked him something to the effect of "What was Egypt like?" "Did you see the pyramids ect. ect.?" "Son" he said with his broad Scots accent..."Egypt is the a$$hole of the universe! The most fly infected cesspool a person could ever be subjected to!" "We chased that F#$#ker Rommel clear across North Africa only to end up in Egypt!" I'm guessing he wasn't a fan:D He also spoke about how the sun burned their skin "Black" within a few weeks of being there. "We looked like black men after a few weeks, you'd be hard pressed to tell us apart from the Africans" Tough Fight. The old guys gone now but his pipe shop is still going strong....Abune them A Jack
 
That is so very impressive that you have kept alive your grandfathers (and the world at that time) place in history. Do get your Grandfathers service records, retain and save everything you can. SADLY we as Canadians seem to blow off and knock down our past, it never fails to impress me when talking to friends in the US and UK and their grasp of history while some "canadians" today seem to currently be trashing everything about Canada and our history today.
 
You have a right to be proud. A Sergeant of the British Army, Regiment of Royal Artillery, and on his chest he wears the Africa Star ribbon with 8th Army rosette. Obviously one heck of a soldier.

Your grandpa's recollections seem spot on to me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finsbury_Rifles

Great pics!

Jim
 
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plinker 777 said:
I once knew an old bagpipe maker who served with the 8th army {British} during WW2 in North Africa. Over some drinks he started to reminisce about this time and mentioned Egypt. I asked him something to the effect of "What was Egypt like?" "Did you see the pyramids ect. ect.?" "Son" he said with his broad Scots accent..."Egypt is the a$$hole of the universe! The most fly infected cesspool a person could ever be subjected to!" "We chased that F#$#ker Rommel clear across North Africa only to end up in Egypt!" I'm guessing he wasn't a fan:D He also spoke about how the sun burned their skin "Black" within a few weeks of being there. "We looked like black men after a few weeks, you'd be hard pressed to tell us apart from the Africans" Tough Fight. The old guys gone now but his pipe shop is still going strong....Abune them A Jack
Click to expand...

Egypt hadn't changed much by 1979 anyway. :eek:
 
Thanks all for the renewed interest, he has long since passed away since I started this thread. I have over the years found a few more items that I squirreled away. Also found out a bit more with the unit that he served with.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finsbury_Rifles#World_War_II

Newspaper clipping circa 2003-2004
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A few more pictures from North Africa/Middle East
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When he passed away I received his medals, he had previously had them framed, which is how I have kept them since.
They hang with my other grandfathers medals. He served in the Canadian Military as a sapper.
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