Dear Max,
I’ve tried posting the photo but the file is too big. I’ll retake the photo and adjust the size later and post.
I think a service book or maybe more are missing as the one I have starts around about June 1944, whereas it clearly sets active service from 1939-1944 and mentions 1946. It only mentions Haifa and what I presume Italy re Bara
I did think Bara was an error as I had to land in Bari naval base as an emergency landing when the plane we were on was running out of fuel. However I saw another online document mentioning Bara in Italy.
To be honest i don’t know anything about what he was doing officialy in Israel, Libya, Alexandria, Italy and Germany. However i do know about Rommel, General Montgomery and General Auckinleck in El Alamein and the battle as he briefly spoke about it and them and I have since read about it.
He spoke a little bit about just a few trivial things re his time in Alexandria and Italy during the war (only because I asked) but didn’t speak about the actual war or what they were really doing in any of the countries he was in and i was too young and not interested at the time to ask in depth (busy at school, out playing then work etc). I’m so annoyed with myself because of that. If he was still alive I would be asking everything but perhaps he wouldn’t have told me
However I do know he was an hgv driver re ammunition and troops and I’m sure there was a mention he was a gunner (can’t remember if he mentioned that or if I saw some other papers) and obviously he was dealing with radar in Israel according to the service book.
I have photos of him in Tobruk, Alexandria, El Aldem, Naples and Sennelager in Germany and I have some other field photos in different locations in Libya and Egypt.
He received the Italian star, African star and clasp, the 1939-1945 service medal and a few others.
One of the photos I have is of him and his 3 friends in uniform. I don’t know where it was taken but it appears to be full uniform whereas the others are desert uniforms and a different one in Italy
The photo with his 3 friends is a great photo but sadly he told me he was the only one who came back alive but I don’t know anything about these soldiers (where they were from or their names).
Another official photograph is of him and his comrades in uniform in Alexandria is with some young Egyptian children. I think these children helped the soldiers by running errands or help them navigate locally or maybe they were just exited /inquisitive to see the soldiers. He did say something to me about the children in Cairo but me being only about 14 at the time it’s hard to remember the full story, the only bit I clearly remember was he always shared his food with them as when he came home he always left some of his meal in memory of them (a habit or tradition ). He also learned to speak a little Arabic.
I think he came home Oct 1946 and my dad was injured in Germany and later paralysed very young when home because of that injury.
The injury was not because of enemy fire etc, it was an accident in Germany after the war whereby he was trying to help a friend and he got injured, this led to him being paralysed not long after he got home (blood clots from the injury in Germany and more). Uncanny he survived the whole war bodily intact only for that to happen during peacetime in Germany resulting in a terrible situation when he got home.
Anyway my questions are and would really appreciate if anyone could tell me why they were in/what they were doing in Sennelager Germany that would be great
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Also anything re Haifa, Libya and Cairo and Italy (I’m not asking anyone for their time going into great details just a brief description). El Alamein is well documented so I’m fine with details re that.
Plus if anyone knows where or who I can ask about service books or records can you let me know.
I’ll try and post the photo again later once I’ve resized it re the interpretation of the abbreviations.
Thanks in advance, sorry to ask so much and thanks again Maxd