大象传媒

Today, Olga and I went to a funeral at St Gabriel's church, Aldersbrook. It was for Sybil Rigby, who had been baptised there, married twice there, and now had her funeral.

The Rev'd told us of how she married in 1943 and her husband was a Royal Marine Commando. We were told he died in Changi Jail, Singapore. What we were not told was that he took part in an assault, was captured and with others, beheaded by the Japanese. She also lost her brother, Claude who was an RAF pilot.

My cousin Barbara Battersby was similarly bereaved. Before the war she was at university with Tom Cunnington. When the war started he voluntered for the Navy. They were engaged for three or four years which was not uncommon in those days. He had a short leave during which they were married and then he joined a destroyer. Three weeks later the ship was lost with all hands off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. He is buried with others on a small island nearby. I forgot to mention Sybil had a baby girl later as indeed did Barbara, a boy and Sybil's daughter, Sally gave an appreciation at her mother's funeral.

Olga and I sat with two other Royal British Legion members who had all served in the War. Norman Gower was an R.N.V.R. and made the trip to Archangel many times; served in the Malta convoy and also was in action against the Japs. Winifred Garner was in Cairo and also Ismalia (like my brother Tom).

I took note that it was likely that our joint ages would be about 246 years. In history terms that would take us back to 1750 i.e. to George II!!

You may remember that Tom left the Blackpool T A Field Regiment in 1939 and you may want to know their subsequent history. They trained fully and were posted to Malaya. As you may know, the whole peninsula fell to the Japs and so this regiment went into imprisonment. There were several young men from our own district who were captured, many Blackpool Cricket Club members. They did not all come back, but those that did were emaciated beyond belief....six stone in weight in some cases.

Two of these were Fred and Reg Dunn. I mentioned previously the eye loss my brother Philip suffered in 1934. I have not detailed how the accident happened. Dad was ultra-careful in his conduct on firework nights (November 5th). We, his sons, had to sit on a bench while he lit the fireworks. No movement was allowed. On this particular evening my parents were going to the cinema and Phil was to play miniature billiards at Reg Dunn's house. Being only nine I went to bed and my other brother, Tom stayed in. I was asleep when awakened by a commotion. Tom told me to stay in and be good as a terrible accident had happened to Phil. Our parents were sent for and Phil was taken to hospital. His treatment caused the loss of his eye and his lower eyelid. He had apparently had his attention drawn to the sky by the passage of a sky rocket firework and while his gaze was averted he was hit in the face by a spent rocket which sent hot embers into his eye.

There were three Dunn brothers, Fred, Des and Reg. Their father Paddy, came to England in the 1920's seeking work as it was during the Great Depression. There were few jobs in England but much worse in Ireland. These three sons did very well at school. Des was a particularly successful scholar taking a degree in radio electronics and finally working for the 大象传媒. He joined the RAF but lost his life over Hamm in Germany on a bombing run. "Lord Haw-Haw" (William Joyce) announced the fact on radio.

The Blackpool T.A. Field Artillary Regt. (which my brother, Tom joined at first) was sent to Singapore and arrived just as the Japanese had forced the surrender. So all the Blackpool contingent went into prison as war captives. Several lost their lives during their captivity but Fred and Reg came home. They were down to six stone or so in weight and Fred died several months later.

About a dozen of Tom's old friends were similarly distressed. Tom was very lucky to have left them all in 1939. In war you never knew which way the "dice" would land.

Of the Blackpool TA Regiment over a third were lost.

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