- Contributed by听
- TiptonGilly
- People in story:听
- Gilbert Wright, Ex German U Boatman
- Location of story:听
- Kidderminster Hospital
- Background to story:听
- Royal Navy
- Article ID:听
- A4030868
- Contributed on:听
- 08 May 2005
My Dad Gilbert Wright joined the Royal Navy as an young 18 year old electrician on a aircraft carrier. Now their biggest fear were the German U Boats as aircraft-carriers were easy targets.
My dads aircrfaft-carrier came under attack from German U Boats, but due to the skill of the raydar men and the Captain the managed to manouver out the way of the torpedoes.
Years after the war my dad suffered with angina and one October night in 1997, my dad had an angina attack and had to go into hospital. In the bed opposite him was a elderly German man who had surved on the German U-Boats. My dad you to say as the family came to visit him, "See him over there he was trying to kill me." But there was no bad feelings in fact in two weeks they had become good friends.
My dad used to say 'I feel a fraud' as he felt perfect. One night they had been watching European football together and there was freindly rivary over that!But they had a good night together.
Two O'clock in the morning my dad died of a massive heart attack. In the morning the German was asking where my dad was and when he was told he wept.
How things come full circle and these football yobs that sing anti-german songs are so far off the mark. These two men had been at war now they had ultimate respect for each other. God Bless you Dad I hope you are with friends British and German.
Your loving son David
漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.