- Contributed by听
- warhiltonburtwallace
- People in story:听
- hilton burt wallace
- Location of story:听
- Initailly on board HMS Wensleydale off Sheerness
- Background to story:听
- Royal Navy
- Article ID:听
- A1972686
- Contributed on:听
- 05 November 2003
Our ship was tied up to a bouy just off the port of Sheerness just before Christmas, 1944.
The ship was waiting for our orders to set sail again. I was in charge of naval stores and had not been on the ship for long. I had just completed my training (I joined when I was 17, and was only allowed to go to sea when I was 18. There not being much to do while at anchor, a number of us were siting in the mess deck, playing cards, or reading books, or just chatting, when the post was brought in and distributed. I was happy to receive a letter from my grandmother, Fanny Riding, who had been very fond of since I was small, so it was a treat to hear from her.
I opened the letter and started to read it when a part of it seemed so horrible that I must have gone white. "You probably must know by now that Geoff (my brother) has been KILLED IN ACTION!. But I didn't know - no one hah told me! And I burst out sobbing. "What't up?", someone asked, sitting next to me. I gave him the letter, because I couldn't speak for some time.
After obtaining permission to go on compassionate leave, I took the train to Cheltenham, Glos, to visit my mother. When I arrived home, my mother, sister (noreen), and my brother David, were there. Also Geoffrey's lady friend, Kit, and her daughter, Molly, fathered by Geoffrey. The next day, Kit had tried to commit suicide, was taken to hospital and recovered.
Geoffrey John Wallace had joined the Glosters when he was called up. He went to France on D-Day, but in October, 1944, was killed in Holland and buried near Rosenthall, Holland.
A couole of years ago, my sister (Noreen) and I went to Roosenthall to visit his grave. It is beautifully kept by the War Graves Commisiion, but we still grieve for our wonderful brother and think of that poem "They shall not grow old....."
Me? I am now 77 years of age, and have grown old. My mind returns that wonderfull man, 6 feet two, and handsome, and no better friend have I had since.
H.B.Wallace
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