大象传媒

Firsty the story is about my Father-in-Law,who to me was one of the greatest men who lived.
He joined up on the 26th June 1940 at Wrexham in North Wales.When he finished his training was sent to Norfolk ready to embark for Italy.
In fact it was to be Sicily landings, his regiment was in with the 61st. Infantry Brigade and the British 8th.Army who fort their way up past Napels and up to,and where he got involved with the bombardment of Monti Cassino.
He did not say a lot about his time in Italy but little bits now and then and I hope I do him justice in how I tell his story.
At Monti Cassino he use to amongst other jobs go up at night with Mules loaded up with shells to the big guns which were emplaced on a hill opposite the Monastry. He told how a difficult job it could be mules playing up,some times fired upon and difficult terrain too. The most poigant thing he told was how he never forgot how many of his mates he had lost and where they came from,house,road/street,village/town.
He made it through the battle and arrived in Rome where I believe he had some Resting to do and he was a man who appreciated the culture he saw,buildings, Statues,etc.
While at Rome he was promoted to Corporal.
After the resting Rome they moved on ever North and at some time he was told he had to escort some prisoners back to Rome,and as he explained it was not a job he rellished and thought it was a bit much making prisoners of your own men and he tried handing in his stripes. His Commanding Officer told him he had earned his stripes the hard way and he had been chosen for the job because he was the rightman for that job and it was for someone else to decide the rights and wrongs.
He took the men (two I believe) to Rome where they were court martialed and jailed.
He then became a dispatch rider for awhile which was quite a hairy job watching out for all kinds of obsticals,potholes,etc.and he loved his time on the motorbikes.
They then made their way through(fighting) Perugia and on to Florence and then to Venice.
He told me how beautifull these Cities were and how he would have loved to go back one day,alass he never did.
He was demobed on 12th.December 1945.Having done his duty he had several Medals and was Mentioned in Dispatches, which were published in "The London Gazette" third supplement dated 23rd.May 1946.
He was a very forthright man always straight forward never thought evil of anyone,he became a Baptist Deacon in "HOREB CHAPEL" in Llandudno Junction ,North Wales, and known by many as John Llewelyn, he loved his Chapel and so much so he also took on the Caretakers job and kept it spotless.
He also returned to the Crossvile Bus Company as first a conductor as he was pre-war and later an Insepector and had many many years sevice in.

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