大象传媒

Briefly: my parents war (dad James Mcgroary now deceased), mum Doris still alive: dad was born in 1920 in Glasgow, as a boy of 19 he enlisted in the TA 6 months before WWII, and was called up immediately, he served at El Alemein (North Africa), and Italy and was in Woolwich when he met mum in 1943 (was awarded several medals including African Star), James and Doris married in July 1944 - he borrowed his brother-in-law's suit and she made her own lovely suit and hat, they had a cardboard cake but were very much in love till he died in 1989. Mum was 14 at outbreak of war (born in Woolwich 1925), and was able to accompany her dad to Yorkshire when he was sent up there to do factory work (as he was a skilled engineer - he was too old to fight and had served in World War I), she also worked in a clothing factory making uniforms and told me they used to put notes in for the soldiers!! They had a couple of years in Yorkshire (along with her mum & younger siblings who were evacuated), and then they went back to the horrors of the bombs in London, mum had to do her bit as an air-raid warden and saw many terrible tragedies, she & dad spent their honeymoon night in an air-raid shelter!! Mum remebers VE day especially well as she was in hospital with her older sister Joy, they were both having difficult pregnancies and were in the maternity ward in the hospital in Woolwich - mum unfortuantely had just lost her baby and Joy fortunately, went on to have her little girl okay - they watched all the people celebrating from the hospital windows and were given a bannana - which they hadn't seen for 6 years!! Mum and dad eventually had me (Carol Ann) in 1947 and my sister (Annette) in 1953. We were and still are a very close and loving family and loved to hear what mum and dad had been through in the war.

Mrs Carol Gosling
dated: 11th May 2005

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