Crafty in the Med

I am here to enjoy meeting other bloggers and to share my love of craft ,mostly crochet, my thoughts and my daily happenings here in Alicante,Spain, my adopted country. I belong to a local choir because singing and music makes me happy. Flea markets and book shops are two of my favourite places to be. I read lots......sci´fi/fantasy,buried treasure, and off world adventures. I have a passion for history! I walk and walk and walk for about 10 months per year during the hot months I swim.

Sunday 11 November 2012

He served.....


Remembrance Day always reminds me of my Dad.



He fought in WW II  in North Africa,India,Burma,Malaysia and the Chinese frontier.
He participated in the Retreat from Rangoon and was one of the last of his battalion to leave the burning city and forced to walk thousands of miles through the jungle to get to the Indian frontier which took several months. In the history books this is called THE LONGEST MARCH.
He and his men came out riddled with dysentery and malaria but they survived.
He was lost in action presumed dead but he was found and he survived.
He gave 21 years to his country and survived to tell me about his escapades in the war although there were some he wouldn't talk about,when he lost his best friend for example.
I would dearly love to write about those escapades one day.
He enlisted at 17 forging his date of birth to be able to get in the army and due to his knowledge of horses he was placed with the Artillery. He started as a simple soldier and worked his way up to Regimental Sergeant Major and also became Warrant Officer. He was awarded that commission in the field for his bravery in the Retreat from Rangoon ....for getting his men out. A simple soldier becoming an officer was no mean feat in those days when it was considered officers were only from the Upper classes.
My father was a farmer's son.
He always paraded with his medals on Remembrance Day with his mates from the British Legion.
He passed away at a very young 67 years old  in 1976 and I miss him and I remember him.
Love you Dad!

I found this on facebook :


It hits you to the core!


LEST WE FORGET


Amanda :-)

28 comments:

  1. My heartfelt thanks to your Father for the freedom I have today.

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    1. How very nice of you to say that...it means a lot to me :-)

      Amanda xx

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  2. The poem is so sad Amanda
    thanks for posting it.
    Lovely tribute to your Dad too.

    Have a good Sunday

    Fiona

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  3. Your lovely tribute to your brave and amazing dad brought tears to my eyes. Today we will honour and remember and be proud.
    Big hugs
    xx

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  4. What a lovely tribute. Today is a difficult day. sending you loves xx

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    1. Thanks for your comments. It is a difficult day but must be repeated and never forgotten!

      A xx

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  5. Amanda, hello, I read and reread your beautiful and poignant post today..
    What a beautiful and fitting tribute to your dear brave, Dad.(amazing story)
    The poem is beautiful and I am wiping a tear, I have never heard it before.
    Thank you for sharing with us all and sending thoughts out to you today.
    Lest we forget..
    Love Maria x

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    1. Hello Maria
      Many thanks for these lovely comments.
      Today is the day that we must remember what all those brave people did for us and for our children and our childrens's children. Lets hope that as so well expressed in the poem that everyone has learnt from it and does not forget.

      Lest we forget

      Amanda xx

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  6. What a great post Amanda! Your Dad accomplished a lot in his short life, and his stories must be told. Thank you for sharing this with us.
    Lynne xxx

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    1. Just wish I could write Lynne! He told me lots of very interesting anecdotes of the war some of them quite funny. Perhaps I'll give it a bash when I retire.

      lest we forget

      Amanda xx

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  7. I can connect with your feelings Amanda! I lost my dad in sept, 2011 at the age og 66.5 years. He was not in army but he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while driving his car and got down on time saving many lives on the road. I am proud of him ! and miss him daily:(
    He was the fittest person in our family and I am still in recovery mode from that shock. I was pushed into blogging by my husband to distract me from the depression:( missing loved ones is a crude reality of this world!



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    1. Hello Preeti
      That's very sad....I feel for you. I so agree with you missing loved ones is hard but has to be accepted. However if we turn this about a little and think that we miss them because we loved them this means they were loved in life .....some unfortunate people just fall into oblivion with no one caring. This is our tribute to our lost ones caring ,missing them and remembering them.
      Don't be afraid to remember your father ......he's not gone he lives in your sweet memories.

      lest we forget

      Amanda xx

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  8. A lovely post Amanda. I really hope you do manage to write down your dads memoirs one day so they will be there forever. The poem and observation too has brought tears to my eyes.We never learn do we?

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    1. Hello Anne

      Thank you for these lovely comments.
      As in the poem that's what I fear will they sin again! God forbid!

      A xx

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  9. What a great tribute to your Dad!

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  10. Hi Amanda, Your post brought tears to my eyes. Your Dad was a brave man. I lost my father two years ago, to a massive stroke. Not a single day has passed without me remembering him, missing him and shedding a tear or two, as I was Daddy's pet. Just like Preeti I started blogging to create a diversion with full encouragement from my dear brother. We donated my father's eyes, so I console myself that somewhere there is a part of my father and that he is with me in spirit.
    I do hope you will one day share your Dad's stories with us.
    Lots of love and hugs.

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    1. Thank you for your lovely comments Sangeetha. Very sorry to hear of your loss....how very generous of you to donate a part of your father to help others. As I said to Preeti I believe our love ones aren't gone but live on in our memories.

      Lest we forget

      Amanda xx

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  11. Such a wonderful post Amanda! We own such much to your father and men and boys like him. Lest We Forget!
    Victoria xx

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  12. Beautiful post, Amanda. What wonderful memories you have. Such a lovely poem also.

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  13. Hi Amanda,

    Your words today touched my heart and soul. You must be so proud of your father. What a brave and generous man! How lucky you are to have had a father like him. Thank you for sharing.

    Remembering...

    Poppy :)

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  14. Amanda, this is such a beautiful post. I am sure you are missing your wonderful Father. My Dad was in Burma, too. He said it was like hell there.
    Hugs to you,
    Meredith

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  15. Amanda, my heart goes out to you with this remembrance of your father. The men who serve their country are brave, courageous, and unselfish; we should all be thankful, XOXO

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  16. Your dad was a very handsome man indeed!! Such a young age to go too, sending love and hugs to you.
    xox Sandi

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  17. Dear Amanda,
    Remembrance Day is ufortunately not celebrated in Greece (I'm afraid people do not even know of it) but I know, and my dear father also served his country, France, and I also think of him every single day since he passed away 23 years ago. He was also born in 1909!
    Thank you for sharing this tribute to your dear father with us!
    Marie-Anne XX

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  18. A beautiful tribute to a clearly remarkable man :D

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Thank you for your comments. I do read them and try to reply to all as well.Please keep them coming. Amanda :-)