220669 Pte. Harrry Wade British Army 5th Btn. East Yorkshire Regiment from:Sheffield Yorks (d.6th Apr 1943) As my Father Harry Wade died when I was only 6yrs old I cannot remember too much about him unfortunately. He had worked on the railway in Sheffield but joined up in 1940 I expect thinking it was the right thing to do.
When he died my sister Maureen was 8yrs old, I was 6yrs & my brother Keith Harry was just 3 months old. There is so much to tell that I can barely start. My Mother naturally was devastated & without the help of friends & family I don't believe she could have found the courage to carry on & care for us children! We lived in a very poor house called a
"cellar kitchen" house where the living room / kitchen was downstairs a
front room above, a bedroom above that & topped by an attic. Right in the very centre of Sheffield so we had lots of bombing raids & many rushes out to the communal shelter which was shared by 8 families What with air raids & strict rationing it must have been a nightmare for my Mother!
I have lots of stories about my Dad gleaned mostly from the fantastic few letters which my Mom kept in a leather handbag my Dad had sent her from Egypt. It is impossible to read these letters without getting tearful. So beautiful & So full of Great Love
One of the most heart breaking ones is dated the day prior to his death!
Even more special is that it was just to his "Pets" his children saying how one happy day we would be together again. I could go on for instance about the time the enemy had them "pinned down" & one of their sergeants got wounded. My Dad & his comrades Carried their Sgt 4 miles through a minefield to get him to help. All this courage hidden away in old letters.
My Fathers life ended in a place called Wadi Akarit in Tunisia One of the
fiercest battles of the war rivaling El Alamain, Dad is buried at Sfax War Cemetery in Tunisia & me & my family have visited him there twice.
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