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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Vijiha Bashir, at ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland on behalf Irene McCallumn from Johnstone and has been added to the site with the permission of Johnstone History Society. The author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

In 1885 Major James Gildea, later Colonel Sir James Gildea, of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment formed an association for the purpose of looking after the wives and families of soldiers who were going overseas to form the Second Egyptian Expeditionary Force. He was a very compassionate man and for more than 35 years devoted time and influence to the association. 120 years later the volunteers of the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Families Association and Forces Help Society are carrying on this tradition. SSAFA Forces Help is a national charity with around 7000 volunteers throughout the country.

The Renfrewshire Branch has been in existence since the First World War and each year dispenses almost £200,000 to the people of Renfrewshire in the form of medical aids such as wheelchairs, stair lifts, walk-in showers and also household goods and clothing.

I joined SSAFA in the mid 80’s and have served throughout the ranks, first as a caseworker, then Divisional Secretary in Johnstone and since 2000 as Branch Chairman. In my time I have met many interesting people all with a story to tell. One of my early cases was a client who had served during the war as a Tail End Charlie in the RAF. Unfortunately his plane was shot down over Berlin and the surviving crew were taken prisoner and sent to the mines in Silesia where the spent the rest of the war years. The camp was liberated in 1945 and I asked him how he got home. ‘Och’ he said ‘we walked to the channel ports and I can tell you lassie, my feet are still sair’! This is just one tale of hundreds I have heard over the years. All are worth recording or they ma be lost forever. So I would say ‘keep telling your stories, no matter if you think the are trivial’. Generations to come will benefit from your memories and we can truly say ‘their names live forever more’.

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