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43rd Recce veteran memoires


Enigma

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Here the memoires of a Recce (A4) from 43rd Div.

I've known Mr Surrey for some years now over the internet, never had the privilege to meet him in person though. Consider him a close firend.

 

Mr. Surrey has given me permission to share his memoires;

 

"I don.t mind if you share any of the information i have given to you its nice to think some people are interested in what took place all those years ago. saddly to say a lot of the youth in England are not interested in what happened. if you need any further help just ask if i have the information i will gladly pass it on. Ray. "

 

Hope you'll enjoy his story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[attachment deleted by admin]

ray his story.doc

Edited by Enigma
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It won't work for me unfortunately mate - although please let him know that this young person in England (only just 18) is very interested in what happened over sixty years ago, if it wasn't for him and his fellow soldiers actions we wouldn't be here now, or if we were it wouldn't be much of a life

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Enigma,............

 

THANK YOU,...for sharing this history, with us;

and please pass on MY THANKS to Mr Surrey for allowing us to have a glimpse into his life.

Is the book 'Able Four has Casualties', available; ? (would be interesting to read,)

 

 

Again, Cheers.

 

Andy

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Enigma,............

 

THANK YOU,...for sharing this history, with us;

and please pass on MY THANKS to Mr Surrey for allowing us to have a glimpse into his life.

Is the book 'Able Four has Casualties', available; ? (would be interesting to read,)

 

 

Again, Cheers.

 

Andy

 

 

Thanks for your kind words, I've given the link to this forum to Mr. Surrey so there is a good chance he'll see the reply's.

The booklet "A4 has casualties" is only a copied document.

Here a website with some info about the patrol and monument.

http://www.simonides.org/~recce43rd/page4.html

The monument is very near where I live and we (my brother, his kids and me attend the annual commemoration there on our wardead remembrance day (May 4).

 

I've done some additional research using old maps and photo's to try to correlate Mr. Surrey's memories of the layout and events which occured there.

 

 

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Well that link worked ,thanks Joris, very interesting memoirs, it is vital that these reminiscences are recorded for future generations for them to hopefully understand

the sacrifices made on our and their behalf. Lest we Forget.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 1 year later...
  • 6 years later...
I think I managed to upload Mr Surrey's history again in the 1st posting, guess it was lost in the big forum crash years ago.

Does it work ?

 

Ray is still alive but in frail health now.

 

It works again thanks.

Please thank him for his service from us. It was people like him that kept this country free.

Edited by Toner
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  • 3 months later...

Please pass on my regards to Mr Surrey and let him know he is in my thoughts and prayers. I have just been reading through his memoirs when I came upon this...

 

A school friend of mine was working on the station platform at the time and was killed. The week before the bomb which fell on Mill street had killed his sister and baby and other members of his family. His mother and father were rescued from the rubble and were sent away to convalesce when the bomb dropped which killed their son.

 

This is heart-rendering, as a parent of four I cannot imagine the pain involved in burying all of your children and I'm not sure I could endure it if ever it happened! And yet I'm sure that before the war was over it had become a common experience for very, very many families. We forget so easily how others suffered so much that we might bask in the sunny uplands free from fear and oppression. Everything we are, and everything we have, we owe to those who gave their tomorrows for our todays!

Edited by Old Git
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Please pass on my regards to Mr Surrey and let him know he is in my thoughts and prayers. I have just been reading through his memoirs when I came upon this...

 

 

This is heart-rendering, as a parent of four I cannot imagine the pain involved in burying all of your children and I'm not sure I could endure it if ever it happened! And yet I'm sure that before the war was over it had become a common experience for very, very many families. We forget so easily how others suffered so much that we might bask in the sunny uplands free from fear and oppression. Everything we are, and everything we have, we owe to those who gave their tomorrows for our todays!

 

Thanks for your reply.

Stories like these make me feel the importance or remembering.

 

I'll sent him a email.

He's very frail and can't get to a computer, hopefully he'll read it.

Edited by Enigma
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  • 4 months later...

I got a email to tell us that another dear friend passed away earlier today.

 

Arthur "Jimmy" James, 8th.Parachute Regt.

We met him several years at the commemorations of Den Bosch accompanying a Welsh Regt. veteran.

 

Rest in peace Jimmy.

 

ArthurJimmyJames_zpsb1cce97a.jpg

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Sorry to hear that Olaf, so few left. Gone but not forgotten. RIP.

 

Thanks Degsy

The ones left are quite old so its to expected.

 

But we are glad we knew them.

Even when the last has left us we will still remember them and what they fought for.

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