Excellent, thanks Norway, that's made me smile! :)

Her potted back story is... from Cologne and quite a well-to-do family (father was a barrister, another relative has a road named after them and another a famous theologian). Met my grandad at the end of the war and they got married a couple of years later, moving around various army postings before settling back in Norwich where he was from.

Raised 3 kids as a housewife before going to uni as a mature student to train as a teacher.

She was a wonderful person, comfortably my favourite grandparent growing up as she was a bit mad and told great stories! She'd comb her hands each evening and put pegs on her fingers, apparently to aid circulation. It didn't help ultimately as she died in her 60s from a heart attack! She was a lifelong smoker unfortunately - hence the persistent cough (and sudden early death).

Shame she didn't live longer as I wasn't really old enough to ask her about her youth, the war etc. One of her brothers had learning difficulties and was killed by the Nazis (he was taken away and they got a letter through the post saying he'd died of pneumonia), another brother ended up a PoW in Russia and taught himself fluent Russian to talk with his guards, she claimed her dad was thrown in jail for refusing to salute the swastika banner as he walked by somewhere in the city.

My grandad died a few years ago but made it to 99! A lifelong Canary and where my allegiance stems from.

Sorry, probably TMI but nice to share! They had such "interesting" lives the old barstards who went through the war. 👍🏼

Posted By: JD3 on November 27th 2024 at 16:14:09

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