Where was your parent on VE-Day?

[Ken Atkinson]

Continueing on the theme with memorable events:
My 21st on the green and rust MV Wandby was not celebrated to mark the occasion with strong drink as after a few weeks “the Shatt al Arab is the a***hole of the world and Basra is 100 miles up it” there were only soft drinks left as we passed down the Persian Gulf on the way to Australia. My next chronological landmark was……
50 years ago, while 3/E on MV Fresno City we were heading North up the “Inside Passage” from New Westminster near the U.S. border to Watson Island opposite the top of Vancouver Island to load forest products for Rotterdam. As my junior, Karl R. Negele from South Wales and I were aware that this was a cruise ship itinerary which would otherwise of cost good money, so Karl and I coming off watch at four in the morning participated as tourists. After wrapping up (uniform jacket over boiler suit) we got a couple of beers from the bar and sat outside on the bench facing aft to watch the scenery in the early daylight and postponed sleep until after breakfast. This contrasted with our usual practice of sharing a bottle of Bacardi laced with Coca-Cola pre and post dinner before bed until midnight and work.
Passing “Atkinson Island”, obviously named after an ancestor, we tied up to a jetty attached to a factory and no other sign of civilisation. After a few days excitement I placed a notice in the bar “Ken’s Quarter Century Tonight”. My next quarter was a forgettable working Thursday ashore and this one is a retirement Sunday which has come as a surprise, and the next is unlikely. Looking back has been varied and best described as “all this and money too”.

[Des Jenkins]

Hi Ken
God story, it's good to hear of others experiences, especially if one has never been to that particular place, Thanks.
Des

[Ivan Cloherty]

#21 Hmmm!! but where were your parents on VE Day

[Peter Thomson]

My Dad was in hospital recovering from wounds, while Mum was busy with the other Mums catering to us nippers in a fantastic street party with goodies and munchies like we had never seen before. Every table and chair from every living room in the street was lined-up out there. And Mr. Banfield blew his bugle. A great time to be around.

[Terry Foskett]

My Dad was with 43 Wessex Division Royal Signals in North West Germany having fought from Normandy. Grandad was in WWI and World War II. Me Falklands and Desert Storm.

[happy daze john in oz]

My father was still in Gibraltar having an affair with the field hospital matron.
Had been so for all the time he was there as Captain of the transport corp.

Came back to Uk and divorced mum.

I never forgave him even though I only saw him fore times in my life.

But it was war, and war does funny things to people.
Stuck where they were not knowing if it would be their last day at any time.

[David Varley]

Pa (Lt.(E) RN (Temp)) was on a gunnery course at Whale Island. The celebrations there included firing billiard balls at the cricket screens with the ornamental cannon using thunder flashes. During the day he had been pub crawling with my Aunt Kate much to the displeasure of Ma (a reluctant AA gunner) who had to do 'celebratory' marching drill - she was pregnant with my older brother as well!

I am not sure where Uncle Teddy (had his farm taken off him as not being good enough and joined as squaddie) was and I think poor Uncle Bruv (Dr.) was still with the RAMC ministering to the damaged of Belsen (that made him our only family casualty) .

[David E Hewson]

Hi ken,
During the war we lived on the side of the Mersey, in Rock Ferry close to Cammell Laird shipyard.
On VE Day my father was in Burma (the war in the east had not ended) He was in the reserve in France when war was declared. He survived the retreat from Dunkirk and was then posted to Burma just in time to be engaged in the Japanese invasion of Rangoon and subsequent forced eight hundred mile evacuation to India which he survived even though he caught cholera and of course malaria.
After hospital he served in India ,Egypt and back to Burma before finally being repatriated.

With reference to the Merchant Navy losses, we lost two of my young uncles, Chummy Weir aged sixteen who was sunk twice, first on the Achises when he came home still covered in oil and then from the Gloucester Castle( which he joined with his friend dear Lou Barron)
Lou had the sad duty of informing my nan on his return from captivity.
Mum was with us on VE Day and we took part in the street party to celebrate. I remember returning to Rock Ferry for a visit shortly after the war and still seeing a painted slogan on a wall. with VJ Day declared.
We actually lived in a POW camp in Surrey for a couple of years, due to the shortage of houses, until council houses became available !
Regards,
Dave

[Ivan Cloherty]

#28 : I spent a few days in Liverpool with Lou at BOA Remembrance gathering, along with Capt Kong, think it was 2013, Lou presented my wife with a book of Dunedin, his home town in NZ, which I also knew well in the 1950's. A great character.

[j.sabourn]

#29 I arranged to meet Lou years ago in an hotel in Dunedin Ivan , the wife and me were doing an escorted tour of the north and South Island and had a duty free biggest bottle of think it was rum, if not it was whiskey as had two bottles for two different people. Had never met him before but recognised him as soon as he walked into the bar as a seaman first just by the way he walked, he was escorted by his son. We talked a lot about Loyang which he always pronounced as two words and me as said as was there quite a bit as picked up ships from there coming on bare boat charter to Australia and was a sea base and as far as know still is for the offshore oil industry. However putting the 40 ouncer on the table for him , have never seen a bottle vanish so quick down his trouser leg and out of sight , whether out of his sons or the barman’s vision will never now know , believe he died the same year or the following one maybe.A fine character and example of the old school
Cheers JS.