- Contributed by听
- My_Father
- People in story:听
- Willaim James Wagstaff, Tanith Arnesen
- Location of story:听
- Norfolk
- Background to story:听
- Army
- Article ID:听
- A4050316
- Contributed on:听
- 11 May 2005
As a Commando and Member of the S.A.S. They fought for Their Country. We Will Remember Them.
What can I say, my father served in the 2nd world war.
He fought for his country like many others.
He was injured, many times and carried his scars to his grave.
He was a commando, in the paratrooper鈥檚.
He was awarded the India star, Burma star, and France and Germany star, and two gongs.
He always said that his time, in the army was the best time of his life.
He had no mother of father and was brought up by Dr Bernardo鈥檚 home.
So the Army gave him a home.
He would tell many stories, to me in his later years, how he would jump out of planes,
And the man before him would fall to his death because his parachute did not open,
But still the commando鈥檚 would all jump, one after the other, taking, their life in their hands. As many did before, and many may again.
But it鈥檚 not a war story I wish to tell you, it鈥檚 about a man that kept a secret until his death bed.
My dad lay dieing, and knew he was at the end of his long life, he was one of the lucky ones, and came home, after serving his country.
He would wonder in and out of consciousness and ramble, about the war, maybe he was taken back in time, one day he seemed bright and awake, and told me a tale of him serving in the s.a.s Special Air Service, I just smiled at him and said yes dad.
But I did not believe him.
After his death, my husband and I were so worried how could we afford to berry him,
We had so little money.
So we went to the R.A.F.A Royal Air Force Association, to ask for their help.
They looked into dads records, and said yes! We can pay half to wards your father鈥檚 funeral. We were so pleased to have help from this great association.
But something bothered the man that came to see us; and said he wanted to check something out! and a week later he returned. I was told that their was a department in the army, that would gladly pay the other half of dads funeral expenses.
Why? I asked, the man looked me in the eyes and smiled, and said your father was in the Special Air Service, and they wish to play their part in honouring your father.
Tears filled my eyes as I remember the day, I thought his mind was adrift in time,
I am proud of My Father and what he did in the war, just as I am proud of all men and women that served and gave their life for us.
I often wonder how many carried their secret to the grave of belonging, to the Special Air Service.
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