Quarantine Photo Scavenger Hunt - Day 13
May. 7th, 2020 10:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dizzojaySomething (someone) I'm proud of
Tomorrow is the 75th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day.
And that got me thinking of my Grandad. Mr D and I dug out his old wartime photo albums and have been flicking through them. Even though it's been almost 11 years since we lost Grandad, I'm actually quite overwhemed with how emotional I am looking through them. I've been tearful for nearly an hour now, and don't think that's wearing off anytime soon!
His name was Arthur Ludlow and he was born in 1922 in a part of East London called Forest Gate.
He was a Weapons Technician/Electrical Engineer in the Royal Air Force, and was stationed in Egypt for nearly five years. One of the great prides of his life was that he worked on Spitfires, and a few months ago, around the 10th anniversary of his death, I bought a plushie spitfire beause it reminded me of him.
I only knew him as my lovely Grandad who I could wrap round my little finger; he doted on me and I doted on him. He talked about Egypt a lot, but not in the context of the war. He very rarely spoke about the actual fighting.
Needless to say, I'm very, very proud of him.
| a meal | a letter/postcard from someone (feel free to redact) | something that keeps you sane | your computer | |
| a useful tool | memorabilia from an event outside | wild card | a game you've been playing | a musical instrument |
| something someone made for you | a gift you're planning to give | |||
| a good habit |
Tomorrow is the 75th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day.
And that got me thinking of my Grandad. Mr D and I dug out his old wartime photo albums and have been flicking through them. Even though it's been almost 11 years since we lost Grandad, I'm actually quite overwhemed with how emotional I am looking through them. I've been tearful for nearly an hour now, and don't think that's wearing off anytime soon!
His name was Arthur Ludlow and he was born in 1922 in a part of East London called Forest Gate.
He was a Weapons Technician/Electrical Engineer in the Royal Air Force, and was stationed in Egypt for nearly five years. One of the great prides of his life was that he worked on Spitfires, and a few months ago, around the 10th anniversary of his death, I bought a plushie spitfire beause it reminded me of him.
I only knew him as my lovely Grandad who I could wrap round my little finger; he doted on me and I doted on him. He talked about Egypt a lot, but not in the context of the war. He very rarely spoke about the actual fighting.
Needless to say, I'm very, very proud of him.
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no subject
Date: 2020-05-07 09:12 pm (UTC)Definitely someone to be very proud of.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-07 09:21 pm (UTC)In 1999 Barry and I went to Egypt and there's something very magical about taking a photo of yourself standing on the steps of an egyptian temple, then see a photo of your grandad over fifty years earlier standing in the exact same place!
One thing Egypt left with him was the memory of the terrible way donkeys were treated, and he always loved donkeys after that. They were his favourite animal. I remember after he passed away, my Dad was sorting out his finances, and saw he had direct debits to four different donkey sanctuaries!
no subject
Date: 2020-05-08 02:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-05-11 09:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-05-09 05:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-05-11 09:11 pm (UTC)I love spitfires, they have a completely unique sound. You don't have to see one, you can hear them a mile off and know exactly what they are.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-10 03:41 am (UTC)My dad was in Italy during WW2, but like your Granddad, he would only tell us funny things. He never spoke about the war itself. Dad's been gone for 6 years now, but I miss him as if it were yesterday.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-11 09:15 pm (UTC)It really makes you wonder what our loved ones went through during the war, that a lot of them didn't like to talk about it except on a very superficial level. Fabulous people like your Dad and my Grandad made great sacrifices for all of us.
I can completely understand your loss - much love for your Dad xx
no subject
Date: 2020-05-13 01:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-05-13 07:08 am (UTC)I know one scar his posting in Egypt did leave on my Grandad, and funnily enough it was nothing to do with the actual war, was the terrible way he saw donkeys being treated there. He could never get over that, and to his dying day, donkeys were always his favourite animal. After he passed, and my Dad was going through his finances, we saw he had four separate monthly direct debits going out to different donkey sanctuaries.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-13 04:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-05-10 07:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-05-11 09:17 pm (UTC)Where did your uncle serve? Much gratitude to him for his service.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-12 06:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-05-26 03:33 am (UTC)