From the Watson archive; My father, Ernest Allan Simpson Watson, a Pte in the 7th Black Watch writes to his fiancée (my Mother, Ethel Maechelle Milburn known as Mickey during the war with 342/93(M) Search Light Regiment in Watford) on 8th June 1944. It reads:
"My Darling. Here is another few lines hoping you are getting on OK and enjoying yourself as much as possible. I suppose you know all about the invasion by this time, but don't worry yourself too much, as I'll be OK..."
Master of understatement.
The Black Watch Regimental History states "The 1st, 5th and 7th Battalions, still in the 51st Highland Division, were all landed in Normandy on or shortly after D Day, 6 June 1944. They were heavily involved in the actions leading to the breakout from Caen and the Falaise Gap"
Very proud of both of my parents
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Moi Watson
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!
My father was with General Omar Bradley's 12th Army Group, which went to France shortly after D Day. I miss him very much. He was a retired U.S. Army Colonel.
To all those servicemen who helped regain our freedom, I take a deep bow. I have visited the battlefields in France, paid my respects at the impressive cemetery overlooking Utah beach and have stood in awe at the courage and determination of all those who participated in this heroic undertaking. It is only when you stand on the bluffs overlooking the landing areas, the selfsame spot manned by the German machinegun emplacements pouring down a hail of fire, that one truly understands the bravery of those that participated. May their memory live on, in gratitude.
My great uncle was one of the last men to be rescued off the beach at Dunkirk, and he returned to the continent a couple of days after D-day to push inland as an intelligence and spotting officer with the Royal Artillery. He was later part of the vehicle column which was due to rendezvous with the paratrooper units at Arnhem and he told me a number of stories about that which have yet to see the light of day in the official accounts (and may have to wait for the 99 year rule to expire before they do). Later he had the unpleasant experience of discovering one of the death camps and having to go back and report it.
Crispvs
Who is called \'\'Paul\'\' by no-one other than his wife, parents and brothers. :!: <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_exclaim.gif" alt=":!:" title="Exclamation" />:!:
let me give you my 2 cents, my great uncle, fought in the Hungarian army (NW Romania was back then again a part of Hungary) and he fought the East Front against the Russians, he was made prisoner in the big Don battle and he went through the Hell in Stalin's Gulag. He came back months after Stalin died in 53, his wife not knowing him alive for so many years. He never talked about this too much. And we thought he is a little bit odd.
I remember when I was 5 or 6 we were eating at his table and he told us "Eat! Eat! Lets hope you won't need to eat dirt as I did". Well I asked my grandmother about this and she told us the story. She said that the worst, probably, thing they had to endure was hunger, they were working the land in the Far East but they were not aloud to steal anything from the fields, they were eating though when guards were not looking, and a period of famine in '48 '49 they mixed small dirt balls with water and eat that so the stomach had something to work. Even decades after his return my grand aunt had every food under key, they found him many times not being able to move from how much he ate, he almost died, he couldn't help himself. This was 40 years after.
Quote:My great uncle was one of the last men to be rescued off the beach at Dunkirk, and he returned to the continent a couple of days after D-day to push inland as an intelligence and spotting officer with the Royal Artillery. He was later part of the vehicle column which was due to rendezvous with the paratrooper units at Arnhem and he told me a number of stories about that which have yet to see the light of day in the official accounts (and may have to wait for the 99 year rule to expire before they do). Later he had the unpleasant experience of discovering one of the death camps and having to go back and report it.
Crispvs
I've visited the beaches at Dunkirk and Normandy, crappy places to fight a battle.
That's a great piece of (family) history for you to have, Moi. Respect to your dad.
Respect to your grand uncle too, Gunthamund - I've read books about the gulags - he must have had the most terrible experiences.
One of my grand uncles died in a Lancaster (worse, on a training mission) in 1943. He was 21. Six of his brothers served in the Royal Navy, or Merchant Navy.
Ben Kane, bestselling author of the Eagles of Rome, Spartacus and Hannibal novels.
Eagles in the Storm released in UK on March 23, 2017.
Aguilas en la tormenta saldra en 2017.
