AS I was writing a Christmas card for my old friend Frank Alison of Kidsgrove Staffs - I noted to-days date of 3rd December - which caused me to think back 71 years when we first met on our way to join the Army at Gibralter Barracks - Bury St. Edmonds. We stayed together all through training - Tank Crew training - over seas move to join 145th Regiment of the RAC in North Africa - Italy - he was injured days before me - while in hospital the 145th was broken up and he joined the 16/5th Lancers and on discharge I was offered to the 16/5th also and I walked in on him one day to his utter amazement… he was demobbed early to resume his cadetship in the Staffs police ending up as Chief Detective Inspector - so many happy nostalgic memories to-day…on my annual visits to the UK time was spent at least for one overnight visit with both Frank and Hilda - just catching up…! Cheers
Tom. The friendships we made were one of the best things to carry forward from the War. Met this Yorkshire lad at OCTU and we instantly became friends, tried to be commissioned into the same Regiment so that we could continue to serve together, but didn't manage to pull it off. But we kept in touch by letter cards during the War, and afterwards met up when ever we could and kept In contact through the long years until he died seven years ago. When speaking on the telephone it was like rolling back the years. I miss him. Joe.
Joe No more than the truth of real friendship - not because we were liable to be killed or anything nasty but sharing our opinions in most things and relying on each other for just about everything is the lasting friendships which we cherish over 71 years... Cheers
