Hi I have always heard that during WW2 my Grandmother (would have been in her late Teens) was 'In Service' at Hatherop Castle Gloucestershire. She lived in the Village, and Her Father had worked at the Castle as a Gardener since his WW1 service ended. (ex Black Watch /MGC - see my Posts on LLT Great War Forum) The family was always told that Hatherop Castle was a 'hospital for foreign pilots' by my Garandmother when asked about it after the war. But with the benefit of Google, I have now learnt that it was part of the SOE network. When my Grandfather returned from his WW2 Service overseas, my Grandmother never told him anything about what she did at Hatherop Casle, but perhaps he never asked... To their dying days, neither My Grandmother or her Father ever said anything diferent about Hatherop Castle during WW2 Would they have had any idea what was really going and maintained their tight lips, or did they really not know? Colin
good day reeves_colin,08july.2013.08:45am.re:hatherop castle,you have the makings of a interesting thread,as for your grandmother and her father remaining tight lipt.they signed the secrecy act,some of the acts where for life,i like other service personel i signed the secrecy act,and thought nothing of it,you just did not discuss your whereabouts or what you were doing.and there were thousands in the service,who did the same.in other words while hostilities were on it applied.as with your grandmother it was for longer,i respect her integrity,may she rest in peace,as an exsanple about not talking about your job,there was a famous poster stuck in trains underground stations,it showed a sailor talking in a pub.the capsion said loose lips sink ships.and that was true,all the best bernard85
Hi Colin, had a trail through the newspaperarchives but not coming up with much. Here's a few snippets from that time frame. Certainly can't see anything POW or hospital attached to it. Do you live close? Might be worth finding out if there is local history society attached to the local library. I wonder if there is anybody out there that can discribe the Rufty Tufty dance to us?
