- Contributed by听
- derbycsv
- People in story:听
- John Sharpe, Steve Sharpe, Clarence Sharpe, Edwin Sharpe,George Bernard Sharpe, Cyril Sharpe, Owen Sharpe.
- Location of story:听
- Various.
- Article ID:听
- A5267342
- Contributed on:听
- 23 August 2005
This story was submitted to the site by Louise Angell of the CSV Action desk at 麻豆官网首页入口 Radio Derby on behalf of George Bernard Sharpe. The author understands the sites terms and conditions.
Our family of 13. 8 boys, 5 girls. I am the last survivor. 3 of these girls were at school when we went to war. Our dad was a Sherwood Forester in the 1914-18 war. My eldest brother never passed for the army as he had very bad eyesight through pit work.
John: Served in Royal Artillery Ack Ack. (disbanded) after the Battle of Britain to the Infantry, Prince of Wales regiment. In the B.L.A. Germany, wounded twice, he "forgot to Duck".
Steve: Sherwood Foresters. 1 year spent in Northern Ireland, then set off for Singapore but fortunately received signal to carry on as Singapore was falling, so India then Burma.
Clarence: Royal Navy, served on The Warspite in the Med, Africa, Sicily, Italy etc.
Edwin: served in North Africa and Italy in the Army Post Office. Soft job. Before the war he was at Blackpool Tower in a team of 'midgets'as he was very small, about 3ft. He suddenly shot up to 4ft and of course the army passed him for service in the army.
Bernard: Royal Artillery, Medium Field regiment, 100mm shells. Served in North African invasion, second wave, then on to Italy - Monte Cassino. Our gun blew up at Garrigliano (premature). 5 out of the 10 crew were lost. "Lucky me", I suppose.
Cyril: Sherwood Forrester, second battalion, served in North Africa then on to Italy. Took part in the Anzio landing where he lost both his legs. I nearly got court marshalled for visiting him in hospital in Napels (but that's another story).
Owen: Northants Infantry. Came to Africa a bit late but just right for Italy. He went on Anzio Bridgehead as they carried his brother off minus his legs but Owen was mentioned in 'Dispatches at Anzio' firing the Bren Gun 'from the hip' and attacking German Para's.
I'm the only one left to write our story - the last of the 'DDay Dodgers', still we did our bit.
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