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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Mairi Campbell of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ on behalf of Mr Ian John McInally and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

I am Ian (John) McInally born on 24th Dec 1934 which makes me almost 72. Both my parents, James Smith McInally and Janet Ferguson Gibson McInally belonged to Ayr. They did move to Glasgow where I was born.

One year before the war started they moved back down to Ayr and stayed with my mothers parents the Gibsons at Prestwick Road Ayr.

When the war started my father joined the Royal Artillery. He did not go abroad until a short time after D-Day.

On September, myself and a school mate came to Prestwick Road, both my grand parents having died and my mother at work. I opened the door and found a letter addressed to me father from my mother and written across it in pencil was ‘deceased’. As ten year olds neither my mate nor myself knew the meaning of the word deceased and taking a dictionary, that is how I knew my father was dead. Some days later my mother received from the War Department a letter to say my father had been killed in action on 31st August 1944.

I was first of the family to know of his death and for many years had not discussed it now at the age I am, I believe in history.

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