大象传媒

My father's name was Jack. He was born near Glamorganshire in South Wales. Sometime after his father's death his mother re-married. Jack didn't get on with his step father and left home as soon as he'd completed his schooling. He trained as an Engineer on ships and spent many years travelling the world. Eventually he settled in South Africa where he met my mother.
At the outbreak of war Jack volunteered to join the South African army. In March 1941 my sister was born and three weeks later Jack's papers came through so he left for Abyssinia (now Ethiopia)
I'm unsure how long he was there. At some stage, possibly on his return to SA, he was seconded to the British Army. In time he was sent to Scotland on an Officers' course.
I believe that owing to his fluent German, he was sent in a glider to Germany, "across the Rhine, liking sitting ducks".
He never recovered fully from his nightmares of the relief of Bergen/Belsen concentration camp.
After the war he stayed on in Hamburg to help repatriate South Africans who had been unable to return home. Being an Engineer, he assisted in "getting Hamburg back on it's feet" with electricity functioning properly once more.
During the war a newspaper in Johannesburg carried an article about "the South African parachutist who was over 40". I have the article. Apparently one had to be below that age!
Jack had reached the rank of Major and in the later part of the war was Acting Colonel.
He died in 1972, leaving a wife and two daughters. I still miss him and write this in his memory. I just wish I knew more to relate but as a young person I never asked the right questions to glean that information.

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