Bloody Hell !!!! Can it really be 75 years since I was first called up ? The 1st of October 1942 saw me being called up at Bury St.Edmunds Read all about it here: BBC - WW2 People's War - Early Army Days, October 1942 Ron (still around to plague you at 94 !)
Ron, Fantastic...long may you continue to share your treasured memories with us all, This week, I'll be able to share some of my own photos from your July/August/September 1943 holiday location.....including the route from Centuripe to Randazzo.. and perhaps a dip into the sea at Patti. best wishes
Ron - I just read your People's War article. Very interesting. I have a couple of questions (please forgive my ignorance on these matters): 1. Did you have any choice to join the RAF or Navy, or were you just told you had to join the army? 2. I've noticed on jewish CWGC graves that many fought under assumed names for obvious reasons. Did you? Thanks in advance for your answers, Shaun
Shaun In answer to your questions: 1. As someone who was "called-up" no choice whatsoever 2. In my case, no reason to fight under an assumed name so Ronald Goldstein it was. Ron
On this anniversary it seems appropriate to thank you for your service. Thank You for your service Ron Matt
Matt I can't remember the last time that somebody thanked me for my service but whilst appreciating the thought behind it I feel I must point out that I and many others just did what was required at the time. Best regards Ron
My diary reminds me .......... Friday 27th. October 1944 Still raining & roads must be murder. The Div is getting a bit of a hammering especially the Irish Brigade. Kit inspection. Rum issue & film show in the billets, "San Demetrio- London" .
Ron, Good one.. amazing memories from 73 years ago. San Demetrio London (1943) - IMDb The late October period would twice prove to be a tricky one for 38 (Irish) Brigade...in Oct 1944 near Monte Spaduro where you were...luckily my Dad had been left behind in a hospital bed in Cairo and only got back to Italy in December 1944. A year before, on 27th/28th Oct 1943, 50 men from the Irish Brigade were killed at the Trigno river.....including the CO of the Faughs (Beauchamp Butler), and 2 i/c of the London Irish Rifles (Kevin O'Connor). have a good day,
Ron, one thing that HAS been your choice is your participation here, and I want to thank you for that. I haven't seen the San Demetrio film but I found the book very recently for $1 and plan to read it soon. Cheers, Chris
It happened on this day, the 30th of January,1965. It was Churchill's funeral and I was there to see officers of the 4th QOH carrying his medals in the funeral procession. Churchills Funeral | WW2Talk Ron
I remember it well Ron, watched it live on the telly. I especially remember when they were sailing his coffin down the Thames and all the cranes were lowering their booms in salute.
It happened on this day, 73 years ago (What would I do without my diaries !) Friday 13th. April 1945 Moved over Santerno. Some M.G. nuisance & one H.E. about twenty yards away. Bags of prisoners, Kiss from signora. "Liberatoris !". Chasing after tedeschis with 30 browning blazing! Ron
Just think Ron, when you were writing in your diaries, you had no idea what life held for you, or if you would see home again. But by taking the trouble to record your experiences and later share them with us you have passed on valuable knowledge and details all explained in a wonderfully balanced and sympathetic way. And I suppose, something to reflect on as time has passed and you look back on your life.
Shiny 9th Thanks for your kind words. If the truth be known, i have reflected many times over the years on the perils of keeping a diary whilst being in close proximity to the enemy I did, indeed, shortly after joining the 4th QOH, consider how much time I would actually have to ditch my identity discs if I was captured (which clearly gave my religion as Jewish) and my diaries but somehow never got around to the task, for which omission I am today very grateful ! Ron
Yes, It must have made proximity to the front line even worse if you were Jewish, but I think that youth thinks it will survive and bad things not happen to them.Strange old world.
Ron, I've read numerous times that keeping a diary was not allowed. How strictly was this enforced and did you have to make efforts to avoid higher ups discovering yours?
Seroester The strange thing is that i can't remember reading anything about not keeping diaries on Part II orders (i.e. posted up on the Sqdrn notice board) but it was common knowledge that you didn't keep them.. Our kit was never, ever searched for diaries. When, immediately after the war, I became a guard at the POW camp at Ferndorf in Austria and chatted to one of the SS prisoners we discussed the fact that my identity disc would have shown that I was Jewish. My diary also included happier events ! BBC - WW2 People's War - Keeping a Diary in Wartime: 4th Queen's Own Hussars in Italy and the 49th LAA in Egypt Ron