206004 Pte. John Gillott British Army Duke of Wellington's The West Riding from:Sheffield, Yorkshire My father, John (Jack) Gillott was in the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, The West Riding, and was Pte. J. Gillott 862992. He wrote a small autobiography for his 5 children, of which I am the oldest. I learned a lot about my father with this book.
Dad, who turned 90 on June 27, 2010 and is still living as of this date, joined the Royal Artillery in 1936 and was called into action on September 3, 1939 the day WW II was declared.
My dad was shot 3 times in the fleshy part of his hip by the enemy and to this day still has one bullet inside his body - something Dad didn't even realize until many years later - it was at one point in his left chest very close to his heart. The surgeons on several occasions have told him the bullet 'travelled' and by the time the surgery was scheduled, the bullet itself could have 'moved' again.
Dad and many of the men in his Regiment were captured and sent to Stalag XXB. I have a very dark photo which I will try to lighten up and put here. Dad only mentions the names of 2 of his friends in XXB, one being Gordon Rolls who apparently was the son of Rolls Royce automobiles, who Dad said used his name and influence to buy food etc. for the men in XXB. The other man mentioned was Cassagrande and it doesn't mention if this is the first or last name.
On January 11, 1945 the start of the 'Black March' began and Dad didn't know the exact date but he thought May 1945 he and his friends were turned over to the American sector for liberation.
There is so much in his book of 100 pages or so that I would love to reprint here. I would think not too many members of his Regiment are alive today but the one paragraph I will copy verbatim is this one:
"It was June 4: history recorded the evacuation of Dunkirk was completed on this day. There was however, no mention of the men who had sacrificed their lives and others who had been wounded or taken prisoner, simply because they had been sacrificed defending the embarkation of the bulk of the British Army. These men at least deserved a medal, however, I am not aware that any such medal was awarded other than the '39-'45 Star which did not honour the defendants of Dunkirk."
I love you Dad more than you'll ever know and thank you and your friends at Stalag XXB for helping give me the free life I have today, all because of you!
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