大象传媒

I was 15 years old when War was declared and 3 years later when I was 18 I had either
to join the Forces or work in a factory. My four brothers were all serving in the Armed Forces and my father said that was enough for one family and would not let me join the WRNS. My story "Wartime in Birmingham" can be found at A6389328.

HARRY, my eldest brother served as a medical officer in the Army Medical Corps, in a Hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland for the whole of the War. He worked as a theatre assistant; he had the gruesome task of collecting up the amputated limbs and putting them in a bucket.

As a result of working in the operating theatre he developed septicamemia and was extremely ill.

Harry was a talented artist, he used to draw sketches of the patients who had lost their dog-tags; in an effort to help with their identification.

DOUGLAS, my 2nd brother, served in the Royal Air Force in Gibralta. He was an excellent linguist - he could speak Russian, German, Maltese and a little Italian. His job was to interview all prisoners-of-war.

STANLEY:, my 3rd brother, served in the Royal Navy as a Petty Officer; he transferred from the Merchant Navy. He suffered from a Tropical disease as a result of his War Service and died in 1948.

GILBERT, my youngest brother served in Egypt as a Royal Engineer. One day he dived into the Suez Canal to rescue one of his men. He gnashed his chest on the bottom of the Canal and as a result had to go to hospital.

He was admitted to Alexandria Hospital, the same Hospital that my father was admitted to after he had been wounded at Gallipoli during WW1. My father was taken prisoner by the Turks.

Story: This story has been submitted to the People's War site by Muriel Palmer (volunteer) Age Concern Shropshire Telford & Wrekin on behalf of Kathleen O'GALLIVAN (nee CLEAVER) sister of the Cleaver brothers and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

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