On this day in 1945 at 4.30 p.m., my father (to be) finally returned home to his wife at their little cottage in Paper Mill Lane, Claydon, Suffolk.
After being taken prisoner at the fall of Tobruk, he had spent three and a half years in PoW camps in North Africa, Italy and Germany.
He was always a keen gardener and loved growing dahlias so, as a token of remembrance, I have re-processed this photo of a dahlia which I took last summer.
My dad kept a diary all through his PoW years and, in 2012, I hi-jacked one of my albums to share some pages from this starting:
Oh I love this, two butterflies on the beautiful flower, does this represent your mum and dad together again, beUtifully done Hazel, will you be publishing extracts again? This one just says it all:0)
Well I think I've posted quite a lot - but maybe..... I did think of posting his one month's diary after he got home but a lot of work to type it out and most detail a bit mundane. Thanks so much for your interest, Claire.
To-day should be remembered, as you do, with great respect & fondness for the wonderfully happy miracle it was. What a joyous happening, thank you for sharing. I also love the colour of this beautiful flower & fantastic twin butterflies, well shot.
A fantastic capture of two butterflies on such a beautiful Dahlia and in Remembrance of your Dad. It must be very sad to read his diaries and know how he was feeling. Fav
A stirring story of bravery & stoicism Hazel.......if ever there was a lie in deserved it was that one!
Beautiful story & a dahlia your dad would have been proud to grow!
Thanks for thinking of this, Lucy. The complete diaries are in the Imperial War Museum on microfiche and the originals are in The Second World War Experience Centre in Leeds. I have my own word-processed copy with illustrations. My only regret is that neither my father nor I managed to get them published.
A big thank you to you all for your enthusiastic comments and favs which took this shot to PP, doubly good for me as it's in remembrance of my dad. And thanks, Richard, @agedrunner, for flagging it up to me, a nice surprise when I logged on this wet and dreary Bank Holiday Monday here in the south of England!
Beautiful picture and posting in memory of your dad. One of the quiet heroes of that time. My dad was gone for 3 years and returned to marry my mother very quickly. Thankfully, not a POW, but just one of many who served in faraway places. I came along a year or so later.
Kane, thanks: your 'big faves' are good but a 'big, big fave' feels like a real honour!
Well I think I've posted quite a lot - but maybe..... I did think of posting his one month's diary after he got home but a lot of work to type it out and most detail a bit mundane. Thanks so much for your interest, Claire.
Beautiful story & a dahlia your dad would have been proud to grow!
Certainly will bear it in mind - have to find pics to ' hang' it on!
Thanks for thinking of this, Lucy. The complete diaries are in the Imperial War Museum on microfiche and the originals are in The Second World War Experience Centre in Leeds. I have my own word-processed copy with illustrations. My only regret is that neither my father nor I managed to get them published.
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I enjoyed reading your comment, Kathleen. I was born Dec 46 - yes, quiet hero is a good expression.