大象传媒

My dad passed his medical on the day I was born, 9th September 1940 and was enlisted with the Royal Artilley and after some time at Edinburgh Castle, he was posted to India with the fourteenth army and later took part in the liberation of Burma.

He then returned to India and had an operation on his throat, after recovering he was posted home in late August 1945.
Not for him the "Hero's Welcome", but after arriving at Preston Railway Station he then caught the first bus home to Ribbleton.

On his arrival my mother got all the family out of bed and me being the youngest and smallest was last downstairs!! I had no real memory of him but ran across the living room to where he was standing by the fireplace and jumped into his arms.

I then looked at the photograph of him on the mantlepiece and said to my mother "It is my dad mam, he has the same face on!"
He always said he never forgot that moment.

This incidentally was the first time I ever saw a banana, when he produced a bunch from his kitbag.

After my first taste, they became my lifelong favourite fruit

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