Quote:
Originally Posted by Kapitan
Sorry to hear about your late father Jim I take it he took part in the convoys ?  |
Lied about his age and went gun running in the Spanish Civil War where his ship was the first Brit to be bombed in Barcelona Harbour.
Took the boys over and then brought them back from Dunkirk.
Last ship to leave Marseille at the fall of France, taking aboard some French Admiral.
Was on the only convoy that sailed to Murmansk without an escort.
Landed the Canadians in the first wave at Normandy.
Plus a few more 'exploits' as he used to call them.
I blame him for my lifelong interest in military warfare, especially the WWII era.
Rather shockingly imho he was awarded a medal in the mid eighties by the then Russian ambassador to London, not receiving any similar recognition until almost a decade later after I approached the Foreign Secretary who was at the time an associate of mine.
A pathetically small enamel badge of the Red Duster.