大象传媒

I am writing this story not for me but in memory of an unselfish act which cost the ultimate sacrifice.

My first recollections of my uncle Timmy were from my father who will be 74 this year and is the youngest in a family of 13, 13 being his age when his brother Timmy died.

Timmy was not the only member of the family to serve, indeed, I know of Micky (RAF), Georgie (RAF) Davy (RA), Joey (RAF); he served throughout the siege of Malta and of course Timmy (Army).

I suppose Joeys' was the most stirring due to the terrible time suffered by all during the German attempts to capture the island, but to me Timmy always stood out as "special".

Timmy worked as a drayman, one of two working draymen from a firm based inthe Highway in the Eastend. The story goes that someone had to go and serve from the firm, at the time Timmy didnt have any children, so he volunteered in the place of a younger man who did.

Timmy was in the Ox&Bucks 1st Battalion, the Regiment made famous I guess by Richard Todd playing Major Howard taking the Pegasus Bridge Nr Caen in the opening moments of D-Day.

Timmy's unit did not arrive until after the initial landings and fought actions involved in the breakout of and the Falaise gap. He is mentioned in the book about the regiment where "some well aimed PIATS by Private Lear" helped capture a mill at Cahir a few days before his death.

On the morning of his last day his unit approached the Farmhouse situated at La Bijude Crossroads nr Falaise where they unexpectadly encountered two tiger tanks supported by Panzer infantry. That is all I know of the action. Many of his unit were killed along with Timmy who was 34, leaving his loving wife Annie and now a son Danny, my cousin.

To me the irony was he didn't have children when he joined up to save the workmate of facing an unknown fate who had children.

Many years later, I was able to take my Father to visit the grave and the crossroads. It was a fine sunny Normandy day when we arrived at the crossroad vastly different from the foggy dewey mornig which help hide the discovery of the German Panzer units.

The cemetery at Banneville La Campaigne is tiny in comparrision to the American Cemetery near Omah St Laurent-sur-mer and understated. That is not to take away any loss the American forces suffered and the sheer scale is quite overwhelming. Banneville reminds of of the poem "The Soldier" by Rupert Brooke, that there's some corner of a foreign field;
"If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England."

My Father wept at his grave and I felt his grief but was proud in being able to take him to pay his respects after so many years.

I was fortunate in my research to be able to tell my Aunt Annie what happened to Timmy, how he was brave and even mentioned in a book.

Th officers of his regiment who survived did not remember him which is unfortunate but if anyone who reads this can tell me more please do so as I can only say thank you for the assistance.

Thank you for taking the time to read this rememberence.

Danny Lear

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