大象传媒

My father served in Burma during the 2nd World War - he was in the Artillary, his name Bdr.W.J.Eldridge 923827 - 503/F/139 Field Regiment RA SEAC India Command. I believe he was in what was sometimes called 'the fogotton army' and served six years before the time he was demobbed. He came home only to die a year later from coronary thrombosis due to drinking salt water whilst in the atmosphere of the East to keep the sweat glands open.

Although I was only a year old when the War broke out in 1939, I was brought up to know my dad as if he were with us all the time - he wrote many letters and airgraphs to me and I still have one that I treasure very much. Also I have three diaries 1942 etc in which he kept memories of his army procedures and of which ships were sank and where and when. A letter he wrote to one of his brothers on the 11th July 1944 I have in my possession and relates to the castes, deprevity of India and even mentions Gandhi and Pansat Nehru.

I am sure that there are many 'children' of these brave men that have memories similar to my own but can't always find the answers they would like. Luckily I have photographs etc to remind me of him and his exploits. Unfortunately my mother who is 86 now has dymentia and although she re-married several years after my father's death, it is he who is in her memory all the time.

My mother and I were in South East London all during the War and saw a lot of bombings. As a child the War was a terrible thing but exciting in a childs eyes was the collecting of shrapnel and watching the balloons and searchlighs scanning the sky for enemy aricraft. There were lots of family get togethers around the piano and singing in the air raid shelters. People had a great sense of comradeship and shared everything they possibly could.

Obviously I could go on for ever with little anecdotes i.e my school being bombed, having our windows blown out on more than one ocassion, children running about in confusion with their ears and noses running with blood with the afterblast, bricks and mortar everyhwere.

Perhaps if this letter reaches out to someone who is in a similar situation they will reply - I certainly hope so as now my mother is incapacitated, I have no one to verify my questions.

Many thanks for reading.

Pamela Hamer (Mrs)

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