Andrew
Well-Known Member
Mid September last year my Father in Law passed away. I had a great photo I’d taken of him a few years ago ”in costume” which revealed his good nature and for a long time I was always going to post it but it wasn’t the time. His final 12 months were really crappy but he hardly complained. We’ve spent the last year sorting out his stuff, and fortunately he was able to see most of that happen.
It’s been a few months now but today I had to deal with his old car so that bought him back to my mind. So I thought I’d share this.
Joe was born in Poland in 1921 and as he was the perfect age, right ethnicity and had a trade was immensely useful to the German War effort. He and his sister spent 6 years in captivity working in numerous factories, mines and farms. He was eventually liberated from Belsen camp by the Brits in 1945 and then spent another 4 years or so working with the CMLO (Mixed labour Organization) as a Truckie. He was a real survivor and was extremely independent and self reliant.
In the 15 years or so I knew him I’d take every opportunity to “interrogate” him about his early life as he had no records and only one or two photos. We spent a lot of time with him since he was widowed 10 years ago, so he and I had a lot of opportunities to talk after dinner always over a beer at his kitchen table. He also had no relations here so my Wife grew up an only kid who knew next to nothing of her parents history as their life since the early 1950’s was their new life in Australia. Probably a very common situation.
His memories were very clear and I managed to find a number of the locations he’d been on Google Earth to both our surprise. Still, he wasn’t really interested in discussing it, I’m sure he was in a lot of pain and I’m sure I only got a censored slice of events. I can only imagine what he really went through.
Anyhow, we spoke many times about life as a foreign factory worker and how he managed to survive the relentless day and night bombing. He was lucky but he spent a lot of nights standing in freezing water over his knees in flooded cellars. Plus he had a habit of being rebellious and taking off if an opportunity arose. He was working in a Coal mine at one time- a very deadly job, and decided to run away. He was picked up by a farmer about 5k’s out of town and was taken to the Police. The following night he watched the mine being heavily bombed. He was sure he wouldn’t have made it had he stayed. The Police let the Farmer “keep” him and so Joe continued to work on the Farm with the horses. He was once caught out at a railway siding in a daylight raid with the horses and cart and managed to crawl into a section of concrete drain that hadn’t yet been laid and pull the manhole cover over. After it was over he crawled out uninjured, the place was a mess but the way he spoke about it it was nothing out of the ordinary, he just said he was lucky.
Anyhow, the picture. We were joking around and he tried on my GW Dubow and orig Flighter. He struck this pose automatically. Like most of us he loved Westerns and War Movies but knowing something of his experiences the irony of the situation impressed itself on me.
I have to admit that since he’s gone my interests in WWII stuff have waned- I’m sure it’s the personal connection that made it relevant and live. We’re all good now and I’m sure he is too.
It’s been a few months now but today I had to deal with his old car so that bought him back to my mind. So I thought I’d share this.
Joe was born in Poland in 1921 and as he was the perfect age, right ethnicity and had a trade was immensely useful to the German War effort. He and his sister spent 6 years in captivity working in numerous factories, mines and farms. He was eventually liberated from Belsen camp by the Brits in 1945 and then spent another 4 years or so working with the CMLO (Mixed labour Organization) as a Truckie. He was a real survivor and was extremely independent and self reliant.
In the 15 years or so I knew him I’d take every opportunity to “interrogate” him about his early life as he had no records and only one or two photos. We spent a lot of time with him since he was widowed 10 years ago, so he and I had a lot of opportunities to talk after dinner always over a beer at his kitchen table. He also had no relations here so my Wife grew up an only kid who knew next to nothing of her parents history as their life since the early 1950’s was their new life in Australia. Probably a very common situation.
His memories were very clear and I managed to find a number of the locations he’d been on Google Earth to both our surprise. Still, he wasn’t really interested in discussing it, I’m sure he was in a lot of pain and I’m sure I only got a censored slice of events. I can only imagine what he really went through.
Anyhow, we spoke many times about life as a foreign factory worker and how he managed to survive the relentless day and night bombing. He was lucky but he spent a lot of nights standing in freezing water over his knees in flooded cellars. Plus he had a habit of being rebellious and taking off if an opportunity arose. He was working in a Coal mine at one time- a very deadly job, and decided to run away. He was picked up by a farmer about 5k’s out of town and was taken to the Police. The following night he watched the mine being heavily bombed. He was sure he wouldn’t have made it had he stayed. The Police let the Farmer “keep” him and so Joe continued to work on the Farm with the horses. He was once caught out at a railway siding in a daylight raid with the horses and cart and managed to crawl into a section of concrete drain that hadn’t yet been laid and pull the manhole cover over. After it was over he crawled out uninjured, the place was a mess but the way he spoke about it it was nothing out of the ordinary, he just said he was lucky.
Anyhow, the picture. We were joking around and he tried on my GW Dubow and orig Flighter. He struck this pose automatically. Like most of us he loved Westerns and War Movies but knowing something of his experiences the irony of the situation impressed itself on me.
I have to admit that since he’s gone my interests in WWII stuff have waned- I’m sure it’s the personal connection that made it relevant and live. We’re all good now and I’m sure he is too.
