It happened on this day.....

Discussion in 'Veteran Accounts' started by Ron Goldstein, Oct 1, 2017.

  1. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

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  2. ritsonvaljos

    ritsonvaljos Senior Member

    Happy anniversary Ron!
     
  3. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Ron,

    Fantastic...long may you continue to share your treasured memories with us all,

    This week, I'll be able to share some of my own photos from your July/August/September 1943 holiday location.....including the route from Centuripe to Randazzo.. and perhaps a dip into the sea at Patti.

    best wishes
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2017
  4. smdarby

    smdarby Well-Known Member

    Ron - I just read your People's War article. Very interesting. I have a couple of questions (please forgive my ignorance on these matters):

    1. Did you have any choice to join the RAF or Navy, or were you just told you had to join the army?
    2. I've noticed on jewish CWGC graves that many fought under assumed names for obvious reasons. Did you?

    Thanks in advance for your answers,

    Shaun
     
  5. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Shaun

    In answer to your questions:

    1. As someone who was "called-up" no choice whatsoever
    2. In my case, no reason to fight under an assumed name so Ronald Goldstein it was.

    Ron
     
  6. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Times does fly Ron

    Onwards and upwards

    Regards
    Clive
     
  7. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    Well done Ron,

    Keep going,whats your secret? please don't say eat plenty of greens.

    best Graham.
     
  8. gpo son

    gpo son Senior Member

    On this anniversary it seems appropriate to thank you for your service.
    Thank You for your service Ron
    Matt
     
  9. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Matt
    I can't remember the last time that somebody thanked me for my service but whilst appreciating the thought behind it I feel I must point out that I and many others just did what was required at the time.
    Best regards
    Ron
     
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  10. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    My diary reminds me ..........

    Friday 27th. October 1944
    Still raining & roads must be murder. The Div is getting a bit of a
    hammering especially the Irish Brigade. Kit inspection. Rum issue & film show in the
    billets, "San Demetrio- London" .
     
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  11. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Ron,

    Good one.. amazing memories from 73 years ago.

    sandemetrio.jpg

    San Demetrio London (1943) - IMDb

    The late October period would twice prove to be a tricky one for 38 (Irish) Brigade...in Oct 1944 near Monte Spaduro where you were...luckily my Dad had been left behind in a hospital bed in Cairo and only got back to Italy in December 1944.

    A year before, on 27th/28th Oct 1943, 50 men from the Irish Brigade were killed at the Trigno river.....including the CO of the Faughs (Beauchamp Butler), and 2 i/c of the London Irish Rifles (Kevin O'Connor).

    have a good day,
     
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  12. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Ron, one thing that HAS been your choice is your participation here, and I want to thank you for that.

    I haven't seen the San Demetrio film but I found the book very recently for $1 and plan to read it soon.

    Cheers,
    Chris
     
  13. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    It happened on this day, the 30th of January,1965. It was Churchill's funeral and I was there to see officers of the 4th QOH carrying his medals in the funeral procession.
    Churchills Funeral | WW2Talk

    Ron
     
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  14. kopite

    kopite Member

    I remember it well Ron, watched it live on the telly. I especially remember when they were sailing his coffin down the Thames and all the cranes were lowering their booms in salute.
     
  15. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    It happened on this day, 73 years ago

    (What would I do without my diaries !)

    Friday 13th. April 1945
    Moved over Santerno. Some M.G. nuisance & one H.E. about twenty yards away. Bags of prisoners, Kiss from signora. "Liberatoris !". Chasing after tedeschis with 30 browning blazing!

    Ron
     
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  16. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    Just think Ron, when you were writing in your diaries, you had no idea what life held for you, or if you would see home again. But by taking the trouble to record your experiences and later share them with us you have passed on valuable knowledge and details all explained in a wonderfully balanced and sympathetic way. And I suppose, something to reflect on as time has passed and you look back on your life.
     
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  17. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Shiny 9th

    Thanks for your kind words.

    If the truth be known, i have reflected many times over the years on the perils of keeping a diary whilst being in close proximity to the enemy :(

    I did, indeed, shortly after joining the 4th QOH, consider how much time I would actually have to ditch my identity discs if I was captured (which clearly gave my religion as Jewish) and my diaries but somehow never got around to the task, for which omission I am today very grateful !

    Ron
     
  18. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    Yes, It must have made proximity to the front line even worse if you were Jewish, but I think that youth thinks it will survive and bad things not happen to them.Strange old world.
     
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  19. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Ron, I've read numerous times that keeping a diary was not allowed. How strictly was this enforced and did you have to make efforts to avoid higher ups discovering yours?
     
  20. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Seroester

    The strange thing is that i can't remember reading anything about not keeping diaries on Part II orders (i.e. posted up on the Sqdrn notice board) but it was common knowledge that you didn't keep them..

    Our kit was never, ever searched for diaries.

    When, immediately after the war, I became a guard at the POW camp at Ferndorf in Austria and chatted to one of the SS prisoners we discussed the fact that my identity disc would have shown that I was Jewish.

    My diary also included happier events !
    BBC - WW2 People's War - Keeping a Diary in Wartime: 4th Queen's Own Hussars in Italy and the 49th LAA in Egypt

    Ron
     
    Last edited: Apr 18, 2018
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