WW2 Family stories from:
Steve Bloomer
Steve Bloomer
Steve Bloomer's post 31 Jan 2021 .............. here
I've been sorting through some of my late father's papers and thought these might interest the group. He was born at a very early age in 1924, see photo 1. In 1939, aged 14, he joined the Royal Marines as a Band Boy. In photo 2 he is seen in his Royal Marines uniform with his brother John who was shot down and killed over Holland in 1944. He flew in Lancasters of 635 Pathfinder Sqn. He survived the crash and was pulled from the wreckage by a Dutch family who hid him from the Nazis. He died some days later from his wounds. That same family tend to his grave to this day, see photo 3.
In 1946 he married me Mum and moved from the family home at 94 Robin Hood Chase, that's me and Mum at 94 in photo 4. He didn't move far just a few doors up the Chase to 140, my Mum's family home, which is where I am photo 5.
While working at Player's he lost a finger in the machinery and with £100 compensation he was able to furnish their first home together at 47 Peas Hill Road. Apparently, there were blood sucking bugs living behind the wallpaper when they first moved in but I remember it as a lovely home despite the ice on the inside of me bedroom window in the morning. That's me in the back yard, photo 6. In the background the row of lavs, behind those are the Alms Houses and beyond those is the Corona factory, both on Cooper St. Still in 1946 me Dad left Player's and joined Barton's as a bus conductor. He retired 43 years later as Advertising Manager. Photo 7 shows him receiving his gold watch from Murry Barton, note the missing forefinger. Photo 8 just shows that once a Barton man always a Barton man.
In 1946 he married me Mum and moved from the family home at 94 Robin Hood Chase, that's me and Mum at 94 in photo 4. He didn't move far just a few doors up the Chase to 140, my Mum's family home, which is where I am photo 5.
While working at Player's he lost a finger in the machinery and with £100 compensation he was able to furnish their first home together at 47 Peas Hill Road. Apparently, there were blood sucking bugs living behind the wallpaper when they first moved in but I remember it as a lovely home despite the ice on the inside of me bedroom window in the morning. That's me in the back yard, photo 6. In the background the row of lavs, behind those are the Alms Houses and beyond those is the Corona factory, both on Cooper St. Still in 1946 me Dad left Player's and joined Barton's as a bus conductor. He retired 43 years later as Advertising Manager. Photo 7 shows him receiving his gold watch from Murry Barton, note the missing forefinger. Photo 8 just shows that once a Barton man always a Barton man.
JOHN EDWIN BLOOMER
My Uncle John, a simple St Ann's lad but he was smart enough to be one the best of Bomber Command so he joined 635 Pathfinder Sqn. He was shot down over Holland and a Dutch family rescued him from the wreckage and hid him from the Nazis but he died from his wounds. That same family tend to his grave to this day ......Steve Bloomer |
I lost 2 uncles in WWII, John, who I've mentioned before on here, shot down over Holland in his Lancaster returning from a raid on Karlsruhe, and Stewart. I never knew much about Stewart so did some digging and found some rather splendid pics of the ship he served in, hope it's ok to share them here. He served on HMS Vervain K190, a Flower Class Corvette as an Ordinary Seaman. This is the story of 3 ships and how their paths crossed one fateful day in 1945. In February that year Vervain was on escort duty with a convoy off the southern coast of Ireland when the convoy was attacked. Vervain was struck by a torpedo and sank in 20 minutes by U-1276. The Commander of the U-Boat was Oberleutnant Karl-Heinz Wendt. It was his first patrol and his first kill but it was to be his last. U-1276 was pursued by HMS Amethyst F116, she let go her depth charges and sank the U-Boat with a loss of all 49 hands. Stewart was 18 years old and Wendt 24 when they lost their young lives.
HMS Amethyst went on to fame in 1949 in the 'The Yangtse Incident', but that's another story: https://www.naval-history.net/WXLG-Amethyst1949.htm
In 1957 a film was made of the 'Incident' in which Amethyst starred alongside Richard Todd. She was scrapped shortly after the film was finished. So endeth the tale of my uncle, Amethyst and U-1276....Steve Bloomer
HMS Amethyst went on to fame in 1949 in the 'The Yangtse Incident', but that's another story: https://www.naval-history.net/WXLG-Amethyst1949.htm
In 1957 a film was made of the 'Incident' in which Amethyst starred alongside Richard Todd. She was scrapped shortly after the film was finished. So endeth the tale of my uncle, Amethyst and U-1276....Steve Bloomer