Saturday, June 16, 2012

Long way from home


Click the above picture for more Sepia Saturday posts

This week it was very difficult to stick to the theme as although I have lots of pictures of dogs, there are very few with cats included so therefore my post this week relates to affection and men in uniform.

The photo below is of my Grandfather with my Uncle and Aunty.  This was taken in 1942 before my grandfather went off to fight in the Middle East.

My grandmother wrote, "Rob was only 18 months when Allan went into camp, but he never forgot him – or rather the uniform.  It was very embarrassing; he claimed every one as Dad.  In the street I used to turn the pusher around if I saw a uniform coming"

1942 
My Grandfather wrote home every week and numbered his letters with only a few letters missing.     On Christmas Day 1942 he wrote a letter from "Abroad".  My grandmother would not have known where he was at the time but we know now that he was in the Middle East.

"Well Christmas is about over now for this year & I hope you had a good time tho I know how you would miss me very much but better luck next time.  We had an extra good dinner of turkey & pork & plenty of roast vegetables, plum pudding, fruit salad and sauce.  The tea was very good too but I missed the good old Xmas cake".  
The letter was closed with "All my love & kisses to you all now & forever from your own lonely husband who is longing to see you all again & very soon. Cheerio now with all my love darling & just keep on smiling for my sake.  Yours always and forever, Allan"



18 comments:

  1. What a lovely photograph Sharon, and that letter with its description of the Christmas dinner is wonderful, and one to treasure.

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    1. Yes I am glad that my grandmother kept them. Mum & I went to Egypt in 2008 and were amazed that many of the scenes my grandfather described hadn't changed a bit in 60+ years

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  2. Enjoyed your post - the picture of your grandfather in uniform and his letter to your grandmother are truly something special. The mention of your uncle thinking everyone in uniform was his father was especially touching to me. I'm assuming your grandfather returned home safely after the war since your parent wasn't included in the picture - were they born after the war?

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    1. Yes my grandfather returned home and my mother was a post war baby, born in 1945. Unfortunately my grandfather died 2 years (to the day) before I was born so I didn't get to meet him but through his letters, I feel that I have got to know him a little.

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  3. Oh, your Grandfather looks so young to be going off to fight in that terrible war Sharon. I can hardly imagine how your grand-mother felt with her little boy claiming all those men to be his daddy. Thanks for sharing

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    1. It's hard to believe but he was 33 in that photo. The war certainly aged him (he came back on a hospital ship) as he certainly looks older in the post war photos.

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  4. this is a lovely entry Sharon - Allan Scott looks like such a young kid in the photo in his uniform.

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  5. Thank you. To me he looks too gentle to face the hardships of war. My mother and Aunty say he was a very gentle man and they cannot remember him ever raising his voice or smacking them.

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  6. How interesting your trip to Egypt must have been - seeing the places your grandfather had described. That must have been quite an experience.
    I loved his Christmas letter. Sounds like they ate really well.
    Nancy

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    1. Mum had always wanted to go to Egypt because of her fathers stories. I walked for miles into the desert (while Mum stayed at the pyramids) to take a photo of all of the pyramids (9 visible in all). I just knew what I wanted and kept walking until I was in the correct position and had the photo I wanted. One of the pictures was identical to one my grandfather had taken and at that I hadn't seen his photos!

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  7. What a sweet picture and letter! Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Sharon, a beautiful photo for your memoirs. I hope it was a hello there rather than goodbye. Going to war into far away lands was a great hardship for those young family men.

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  9. In most photos my grandfather has a cheeky smile and look on his face. Not in this one. This photo is good bye but he was one of the lucky ones who came back home.

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  10. He certainly was good about writing. I like the picture with the uniform and the doll.

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  11. Thank you. I think my Aunty looks very cute with the doll and ribbon in her hair.

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  12. He does look very young in that photograph. It's wonderful that the letters were written and survived so that you had the chance to know him through them. When my son-in-law was in the marines my granddaughter was very surprised to get to the base and see that there were so many men wearing his uniform. She thought he was the only one to have one. She was about 3.

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  13. I think I have inherited the "collecting" gene from my grandmother. I am very glad that she did keep all the letters.
    That is so cute about your granddaughter. Don't you love the innocence of children.

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