大象传媒

I am the second son of Sgt. James Casper & his wife Doris, my father was killed on active service in france in 1940 aged 36.My father was first buried by the village folk in the village of Berthern, Northern France however after the war his remains were transfered the British war graves cemetery in Wimille, France.
Back home my mothert was left a widow with four young sons aged 5,3,2 & 1 month.Times were very hard for my mother she worked so hard to keep us all together & then she too died young,my brother's & I were then fostered so loosing all trace of our family roots.
At the time of my mother's death I was a pupil at the local sea training school, the headmaster at the school told the caretaker he was worried about me & my brothers, he thought we would all be split up & put in different homes.Mr. Ernest Lee was the school caretaker, he had married late in life & had no children of his own, he went home & spoke to his wife Evelyn, he told her we were good lads & that our mother had brought us up well & they agreed to become our foster parents so keeping us all together.
Ernest & Evelyn have both died now & my wife Gill & I have been tracing my family tree.Last week we went to see my mother's youngest sister in York, she gave me the citation that had been presented to my mother commemorating my father's death, it says:
THIS SCROLL COMMEMORATES SERJEANT J.CASPER
KING'S OWN ROYAL REGIMENT
HELD IN HONOUR AS ONE WHO SERVED KING AND COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WAR OF 1939-1945
AND GAVE HIS LIFE TO SAVE MANKIND FROM TYRANNY.MAY HIS SACRIFICE HELP TO BRING THE PEACE AND FREEDOM FOR WHICH HE DIED.
The scroll was found in a drawer where it must have laid since my mother died in 1951
I have had the scroll framed & this morning at 11am, Sunday july 10th 2005, the day chosen as 60 years on from V.E./V.J.day we hung it,our thoughts were with my father & all others who perished & suffered in the war.We give our thanks for all they did.The scroll will pass down through my family & we will never forget.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.