My name is Marion Patterson, my late father-in-law, James Patterson served in the Royal Artillery from 1942-1945. My brother-in-law has compiled a book of his wartime memories entitled "Jimmy's War 1942-1945/Memoirs of a Gunner". (ISBN no. 0 9531205 1 1.)
My paternal grandparents whose name was Dowden, lived in Portsmouth all their lives. I have quite vivid memories of a heavily bomb damaged city when I visited them as a small girl. My grandfather worked in the dockyard all his working life as a caulker.
I'm hoping to trace what happened to Charlie Magro, a friend of the Dowden family who sailed on H.M.S.Penelope, which was sunk off Anzio in Feb 1944; and also to discover the existence of any other 'Beja Badge' holders who fought with my father-in-law at Beja in North Africa.
 | 15 October 2014 |
Recommended story
Story with photo