L/Bdr Albert Briggs
British Army Royal Artillery
from:Manchester
In 1940 my parents Albert and Amelia Briggs, my sister Amelia and myself were bombed out of the little terraced house we lived in in Manchester. It was just a few weeks before my dad was to join the army. This was December 1940. On 17th March my sister died of diptheria age 6yrs and the day after my sister's funeral my mother was admitted to the same hospital as a suspected carrier of the disease. I cannot imagine how my parents must have felt. Of course I was just 3yrs old and do not remember most of this terrible time. However, I do remember being in my auntie's bed and seeing a soldier peeping round the door which was half opened. I have since realized that this was my Dad. Apparantly I stayed with my aunt Edith who was like a second mother to me. I learned later that my father had been given compassionate leave for my sister's funeral but because of the ordeal he had not returned to his unit on time and the redcaps had been sent to take him back to his unit. It is not until you are much older that you fully appreciate your parents. I will always remember until the day that I die how much love and devotion was shown to me and the sacrifices my parents made. My mother's heart must have been breaking but she always managed to make me happy. As for my dad he was the most wonderful father any girl could have. He never recalled all his bad experiences during the war but only told of the funny things he encountered. I am sure we were not alone and like many others at that time we just got on with it.
