252249 Pte. William Henry Bunning British Army Lincolnshire Regiment from:Saxilby My maternal grandfather, William Bunning, known as Harry fought with his unit of the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment during W.W.II.
Some of the information I have lacks detail, but indeed this story is a true one.
After fighting in Holland in appalling conditions, my grandfather and his unit buddies faced a long and arduous walk through Holland and into Belgium. Along the way it began to rain... and rain... and rain. The tired and weakened men attempted to march forward through the flood, but conditions were so bad that all except two men were lost.
One of the two men who survived the flood was my grandfather. He and the other survivor were rescued by a Dutchman, who risked his own life in order to save theirs.
Until the mid 1980's the fate of my Grandfather's unit was hidden away in a top secret file in order to ensure that the people back home in England didn't lose faith in England's ability to win the war. Still, the file is not easy to find, but the discovery of this file plays a big part in this story.
My grandfather returned to England a sick man, and in his weakened state succumbed to a blood disease and passed away when my mother was only four years old, and my uncle was seven. My grandmother raised my mother and uncle with the help of family in North Hykeham, but when my uncle displayed academic prowess she knew she had to try and give him the opportunity to make the most of his life.
My grandmother and her children emigrated to Australia in 1961. They were 10 pound Poms. My uncle Ken married in 1964, but that marriage failed. His second marriage to Lynn took place in 1970. Ken and Lynn are still married and living here in Victoria. They're retired now and are great travellers. They are also very interested in family history.
It was on a trip back home to Europe and England that they discovered the once top secret file with the details of what had happened to my grandfather's unit.
Upon reading about the flood in Holland they learned the name of the man who rescued my grandfather. It was my Auntie Lynn's uncle.
My Auntie Lynn's name is Jakoba Rosaliena and she was born in Holland. She emigrated with her family to Australia in 1952. She and her family settled in Melbourne as did my grandmother uncle and mother. Lynn and Ken met and married here... thousands of kilometres from their original homes. If there was ever a marriage that is meant to be, it is theirs.
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