244330 Pte. Edwin Leonard Gatward British Army Royal Berkshire Regiment from:Hackney My father, Ted Gatward, served in WW2 and fascinated us all with his stories. He started off in a mounted division but soon discovered that he did not get on with horses, so that was short lived.
He served in Israel and mounted a machine gun on the wailing wall and the little green hill.
Ted originally ran away to join the army at 15, but his age was discovered and he was sent home. He went straight back as soon as he was legally able to do so.
He also got peed on in Egypt by a camel and had to have a whole load of injections. He had a dog and a pet monkey there too. The monkey used to get into the store of liquor and was found all over the camp drunk and disorderly.
He was always talking of the good times too, about the bond he made with
his comrades.
He got special leave to marry my mum on Christmas Day, but he was back in camp on Boxing Day. My mum was evacuated in 1944 and my brother was born in Willersley Castle, Matlock in Berkshire.
Although war was obviously a terrible time, I cannot help but feel I would have liked to have been born in that time to see the closeness of communities and to have been a part of the sense of pride everyone felt in fighting for their country.
My brother has our father's long service medal.
My granddad was in the Navy in WW1, but unfortunately died before I was born.
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