How I Celebrated VE Day in Brentwood Essex

Subject: How I Celebrated VE Day in Brentwood Essex 10/5/2020, 09:18

Hi Folks -- Yes -- 'it;s 23250788 Corporal ELGAR P J Royal Army Medical Corps Saluting during the 2 minute Silence than,later outside for our 'Socially Distanced Street Party' - only ONE OTHER Neighbour had anything OUTSIDE here in The Vale though ! We had a Filipino Style Barbeque INSIDE then set up outside with Cakes baked by our 'Chef' HUGHIE and we had 1940's Songs and I joined in as being an 'Old Bugger' I knew all the words !
I thought of my DAD -- Royal Navy 27 years service and Torpedoed 3 times but survived until 1968 -- his Lungs and Heart gave out -- being soaked by Freezing Sea Water manning the Guns to shoot down the Stukas then SMOKING, then the STEAM TRAINS at Liverpool Street Station took their toll.

I wear HIS MEDALS with pride -- I did not GET any Medals for service in Germany nearly 2 years !

How I Celebrated VE Day in Brentwood Essex 49870985913_8be44d0cc1

Ve Day 01 by Peter Elgar, on Flickr

How I Celebrated VE Day in Brentwood Essex 49871018108_2fc0a6e421

VE Day -- our Party ! by Peter Elgar, on Flickr

How I Celebrated VE Day in Brentwood Essex 49871546981_3aa160d9d5

VE Day -- our Party ! by Peter Elgar, on Flickr

How I Celebrated VE Day in Brentwood Essex 49871857837_71948cfab8

VE Day -- our Party ! by Peter Elgar, on Flickr

Subject: Re: How I Celebrated VE Day in Brentwood Essex 10/5/2020, 10:01

Nice to hear from you again!

Alan

Subject: Re: How I Celebrated VE Day in Brentwood Essex 26/5/2020, 05:34

We celebrated VE Day with a socially distanced street party as well, but I live in a small private close so traffic isn't a problem. There were only 4 families and one is the widow of an RCT guy who I never met (died before I moved in) and two of us ex REME. Strangely it was the guy who had never served that decided on it some time ago and provided the food and drink. (Thank you Nick & Liz)
If it's any consolation, Pentaxpete , I did 16 years in BOAR and didn't get a medal for it! Holding back the Russian and Eastern Bloc hoards all that time!!!! I really believe I was the only one doing it and the other 55,000 geezers were only over there to draw their LOA and get cheap fags. No justice, is there? In 24 years I got a GSM South Arabia and a Cyprus UN medal (apparently made of compressed cardboard, as a guy who tried to have it engraved found out). Lads today with half my service look like 'My brother, Sylvest, (Got a row of forty medals on his chest - thank to Mike Harding & the Brown Ale Cowboys for those lines). And before I get slated, no, I don't begrudge them. After a year in Aden I can well imagine that Iraq and the 'Stan are bloody awful. They deserve their medals.

I sincerely hope that VJ Day is remembered next year. A lot of good men gave their lives in some of the most dreadful ways out there.
My ex father-in-law was taken prison when Singapore fell and spent the war in Changi and on the Burma railway. Some of the things he told me were absolutely shocking.

Stay well, everyone.

Subject: Re: How I Celebrated VE Day in Brentwood Essex 17/1/2021, 16:02

Love to hear about what your parents/grandparents did in the wars for publication online (I can help with editing). Not allowed to give you my email of web addresses for a week, as a new members....

Subject: Re: How I Celebrated VE Day in Brentwood Essex 17/1/2021, 16:05

My dad got the South Aden GSM. I have published a short piece about how Sqn Ldr Jock Stewart (RAF Regt) got his MC there, as written by his DSO son - but until I get authorised can't tell you where published. Are you allowed to message me here with your email and I'll email you back?