大象传媒

I would like to share the story of my father Harry (Butch) Cross of the Northamptonshire Regiment.
Dad was born into a large family in Wingfield East Suffolk on 25th July 1911.His father was an itinerate farm labourer and their home was wherever there was work.
As soon as he got the chance dad joined the army and was posted with his regiment the Northants to Egypt. While he was there it was discovered that he had exaggerated his age and was not old enough to join up but they let him stay as his age by then was near enough !
I have no record of how long he was in the army but I do know that he was in India for a long while,he trained as a gunner and he loved the life .One of his mates was Dennis Webster who was about the same age as him and eventually dad met Dennis`s sister Rosetta, my mum who was a nurse in London and they married.
When dad left the army and moved with mum to the Medway Towns in Kent he was still an army reserve.
When war was declared he was called up again and mum said that he was so happy to be back in the army that he walked down the road whistling .
I have only scraps of information about what he did during the war. I know that he served as a gunner on the convoy boats in the Atlantic , also he was in France , Belgium and the desert .I have a portrait photo of him that he had taken in New York.Thankfully he survived the war.
Sadly he died in 1982 and it was not until recently when I read one of the few letters that my late mother had kept ,that I fully appreciated what he had been through.
Most of what he did was was the same as the many unsung hero`s of that time. Not necessarily individual acts of bravery but by being there and doing what they considered to be their job.I would like to voice my now understanding and appreciation to them all.
This courage is to me summed up in a letter that dad wrote to mum from a holding base in Ludlow
following his rescue from Dunkirk.
It goes as follows
Paper headed THE SERVICES CLUB,MILL STREET ,LUDLOW.
5881570 Cpl Cross H.21 Northamptonshire Regt,Att11th Holding B,Ludlow ,Shropshire.
Darling Hoping you and Baby are quite well as it leaves me the same,but I am jarred off hanging around here waiting for them to sort out where we have to go to.Well dear it is grand to have a little peace at last I never thought that I ever would again after that mad scamper in Belgium .I suppose you read about it in the papers and heard it on the wireless,but dont take to much notice of that,they put it on a bit .Dear I dont know when they are going to let us come home ,but it seems like a month since we landed and everybody is getting impatient and keep grumbling on about us being kept here.They are trying to staighten things out as soon as they can.Dear I am having a really good time here,sleeping until nine o clock ,breakfast then a stroll around the park. Inthe afternoon we have a boat on the river and swimming .In the evening we can go to the pictures or a sing song and dance at any club that we like,for we are allowed the run of the Town.Dear I have just heard that the men here are going to their units today so it won`t be long before I am home.I think before the week-end.Well dear if you answer this letter put your address on the back to be returned if I am gone .You did not say if you received the telegram I sent , but I suppose you forgot to mention it.Cheerio love ,I love you Harry xxxxxxxxxxxxx.
I do know that my fathers biggest regret was that as he was taken in a small boat out of Dunkirk he was hit by enemy fire which did not hurt him but the front of his battle dress was ripped open and unfortunately the many packets of "Hookey" cigarettes that he had hidden there spilt out into the sea and he lost the lot. He got a piece of shrapnel in the groin which was never removed but all he ever complained about was the loss of the cigarettes.Eventually he was ordered onto a Hospital ship as he was wounded and he returned to Dover. I have seen film footage on the TV many times of the evacuation of Dunkirk and I have so much admiration for my dad to describe it as he did to his young wife as though it had all been exaggerated .He certainly is my hero but regrettably I never ever told him that.

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