´óÏó´«Ã½

Our Great Grandad: R.S.M Joseph Dodwell (4797061) R.E.

By: Ben, Sam and Jack Dodwell (Great Grandsons)

This started as a history project for school but made us proud and we thought others might want to see what we have learned about our Great Grandad.
Ben had a history project to do on the second world war, Dad suggested that he talked to Nan and Grandad about there experiences of the war. From the conversations that took place we learned about Great Grandad and thought that we would like to tell others about what we found out.

Great Grandad joined the army during the First World War by forging his age on his documents because he was too young to join up otherwise.
Not much is known of his time in the first world war, but he came home and was in the T.A’s until the second world war started when he was amongst the first to be called up for active service again.
We don’t know all what Great Grandad did, but along with his medals and photo’s are postcards and Christmas cards from France and Belgium dated from 1939 — 1944. we also know he served in North Africa and was on Bomb disposal in London.

He was on the beaches at Dunkirk, he was in the Royal Engineers and we know is unit helped to make Bridges (pontoons) to help with the evacuation of the Beaches. What was left of is unit and from a few others was left with the job of destroying as much of the equipment that was left as possible to stop it falling into enemy hands. He had to make is way away from Dunkirk to be rescued and was eventually picked up by ship, the Lancastrian. This was not the end as the Lancastrian was hit; it took a Bomb down the funnel blowing the ship up with the loss of hundreds of lives. He was one of the few survivors from this and by all accounts was in the water for up to 12hrs before being rescued again. When he arrived back at home in Grantham he was still in the wet clothes that he had been taken from the sea in.
Our Grandads sister as a silver Cross which Great Grandad was given by a Nun who he tried to help in France. Unfortunately the Nun died but not before giving Great Grandad a silver Cross for what he had done.

He was presented with a painting signed by the King of Norway for being one of the first 12 soldiers to step foot onto Norwegian soil to liberate it from the Germans. Unfortunately this painting is no longer in the family as it was lent to the R.E Museum and no one seems to be able to track it down.
If any one out there could possibly help with this as we would like to see it and possibly even get a copy done.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.