Lest We Forget: Military Monday

I grew up in a family who always acknowledged Remembrance Day.  We watched on TV the ceremonies at the Royal Albert Hall on the Saturday evening,  attended the local  war memorial service on the  Sunday or watched on television the Queen leading the  national tribute  at  the Cenotaph in London.    

Few families in the country must have escaped the impact of war on their loved ones and my immediate family  was no exception.  

First World War

• George Danson, the youngest of eight brothers, a stretch bearer,  killed on the Somme in 1916,  a week after his 22nd birthday.

• John Danson, a young widower aged 38,  the second eldest of the eight Danson brothers,  who in 1917 took his own life whilst in army training,
  
  
  
  The War Memorial plaque in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire
  recording the names of George and John Danson

They also served:

• William Danson, my grandfather,  who was awarded the military medal and fought in the mud of Passchendale.
   
• Frank Danson, wounded and in hospital in Malta.
   
• Tom Danson

Second World War 

• Harry Danson, a survivor of Dunkirk who later served in Africa and Italy.

• Billy Danson, who served in the navy.
   
• Peggy Danson, who joined the WAAF and  manned a barrage balloon operation in Hull.

• John Weston, my father, who worked in codes and ciphers, landed on Omaha beach in 1944 and  progressed through France, Luxembourg into Germany and later served in Burma.   He later wrote down his war memories for me - a precious document to  have.
   
• Charles Weston - a prisoner of war of the Japanese.
  
  
  WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

 Below: The war memorial in the village of Earlston in the Scottish Borders where I now live  and the UK's National War Memorial - the Cenotaph  on Whitehall, London.  

                           

 

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