The Wartime Memories Project - The Second War

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242246 Bmdr. Basil E. G. Bryant BritiSh Army 23rd Regiment Royal Artillery from:Ipswich Basil was my step grandfather who was made a POW following the Surrender of the French Division under General Charles De Gaul of which the 51st and Units of 23rd Regiment RA. He was to be a prisoner for 5 years. He was one of many British soldier who were on the forced 1000 mile marches to move prisoners away from the advancing Russian's (To which in a perverse way we were truly grateful after the Russian's used thousands of British Commonwealth and American prisoners as bargaining chips after WW2 and sent them to Siberian Gulags as workers). On discharge and returning to the UK he and his wife fostered a German boy named Werner who had lost his parents. He never complained except to say De Gaul was a Arrogant B*****d for sacrificing the 51st and 23rd Regt RA to escape to England and become the person he did. He died in 1976 following stomach cancer which was linked to his incarceration. He was above all the grandad who smoked Mercator cigars (I had a rather large collection of the wrappers) and who used to take us out for trips to Pub Gardens to have a packet of Salt and Shake and a bottles of proper ginger beer in stone bottles. Brian Ives Add to this record.  Related Content: 23rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery Can you help us to add to our records? Add a record to our website. The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them Did you or your relatives live through the Second World War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial? Were you or your relative evacuated? Did an air raid affect your area? If so please let us know. Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice. Contact us. Celebrate your own Family History Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Secomd World War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc. Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.

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