大象传媒

Like a lot of people these days I have become interested in Family History. It is only since I have started doing my Fathers side of the family that I have sat and read the amazing stories on this website. I just wish I had taken more notice of the stories my father had told me of his experiences in the Navy, but when you are young you do not appreciate what had happened in the war and what it must have been like to live through it. It is surprising how many young boys lied about their age and joined the forces. My Dad,his name was William Walter Beaconsfield Stone, like his father before him ran away to sea. He joined the Navy in 1925 On HMS Pembroke which I believe is a training area in the Chatham Dockyards. He was a 2nd class stoker in 1925 and worked his way up to Acting Stoker Petty Officer. He was on the following ships. HMS. Whitshed, Cleopatra, Thracian, Renown, Marshal Soult, Arethusa, Resolution.Then came the war in 1939.Dad was discharged in 1938 and joined straight up again to serve in the war.He was then on HMS Calendon,Musketeer,Flisbury, Saker and lastly HMS Rajah. He did write his early life story of when he first joined the Navy. I am just in the process of typing it from a very rough and battered copy which had lain undiscovered in lots of old papers.
It is on days like these, 60 years since D.Day that people like myself say a silent thank you to all those who fought for our freedom. My Dad came back from the war in once piece, otherwise I would not be here today, a baby boomer baby. It would be great if anyone who had known my father and read this message could get in touch to add any snippets of information for my family history. I will hand this precious story on to my Grandchildren hoping that they will find it as fascinating as I have found reading the stories on WW2 Peoples War.