Returning From War

Dad and his friend Ted on a POW evacuation train.

Actual newsreel footage from which this photo was taken can be found by clicking this link:
My Dropbox Newsreel Footage

Welcome to our family blog site.
It was only after going through some old photos of our mum and dad when they were young,  we came across one of my dad in his army uniform.  This got us to thinking how little we knew of his army career.  Dad didn’t talk about it very much but from the little information we  did gather I knew he had been a prisoner of war.
So we decided to do some digging to leave a commemorative web page to mum and dad (Robert William Bedford and Winnie May Bedford (nee King) so that our children and their children would have a record of their grandparents ( & great grandparents).

So where do we begin?  

Dad signed up for the army in 1934 at Mill Hill.

We don't know why he chose this particular path.
Dad was posted to Aldershot Command Royal Army Medical Corp unit and passed an
examination in August 1934.

It remains a mystery what the exam covered but we suspect medical training.  Dad then passed a further exam in November of the same year in English, Army and Empire, map reading and maths.
Strange combination but it's there in black and white

Dad then underwent a course of instruction and passed with flying colours in
Anatomy, Physiology, First Aid, Medical and surgical nursing and Ward Management
and Hygiene to qualify as a Nursing Orderly First Class in July 1935.

Dad's time in the R.A.M.C. commenced............

The period from 1935 - 1940.

The time between 1935 to 1940 is a little murky as we do not actually know what

year dad met mum but what we do know is it was at a dance. They both loved
dancing but dad was a real dab hand at it and had partners for all the different
dances - much to mum's annoyance!

We're not sure if it was love at first sight but on 21st October 1940 dad and mum got married. 

Now this of course should have been a joyous and romantic occasion but it was

not to be!  The sirens went off in good old London Town so Mum & Dad along with other
families headed for the air raid shelter.  All night the bombs dropped around
them so a lovely 'hugged up', (well it might have been ''huddled up') night was
not to be and Dad and Mum ascended from the shelter the next morning with their
marriage unconsummated!

As if that wasn't bad enough the worst happened and Dad
got called up that very day to go to war..........

The period from 1940 - 1943.

Dad was sent out to join the 7th Armoured Division (known as the Desert Rats).

Communication was practically if not totally non existent until mum received a
telegram to say Private Robert William Bedford was missing believed dead.

Mum was in shock, so much so her hair started to turn white at such an early age.

How long after receipt of the telegram we are not sure but just one week before
she was due to draw her Widows Pension she received a letter from dad telling

her that he had been captured and interned in a Pow camp in Salmona Italy

Campo 78......the shock completed the hair transition to white.

 Dad and Ted, We think this photo must have been before becoming prisoners of war as they are too well dressed for prisoners!! (new information proved the photo was taken at Campo 78)

Another of Dad and Ted in Campo78. Seems they made friends with the Guard dog!!

Dad was captured at Fort Mechili by Rommel's troops

 Italian tanks with Fort Mechili in the background

Dad was captured and taken to Tripoli and then from there to Campua.

Later he was removed to Salmona near Rome surrounded by high walls and mountains.

 

 P.O.W. Huts at Campo 78

 Life was definitely far from a bed of roses in Campo 78.  The Red Cross parcels

were not  getting through so the POW's, including Dad, were very short on food.  I remember
dad telling me that some prisoners, including himself, killed cats if they could catch them
and were even reduced to stewing paper and grass on numerous occasions!

Camp internment was an horrific experience for everyone unfortunate enough to
have been captured. When Dad refused to give up his wedding ring the guards broke his fingers with a rifle butt to remove it.

One good thing was to come from this, Dad and Ted Baldock became his lifelong friends.  

They agreed that if they came through the war and hads sons they would name them after each other. Ted kept his part of the bargain and named his son Robert. However, Dad got overruled when Graham was born so he was not named Edward. Sad really, Edward Bedford would have had a ring to it!!

They and several others got involved in constructing their very own football pitch as a way of keeping busy.

Dads War Medals.

Like everyone who served in WW2, Dad received some medals for his efforts.

The 1939 - 1945 Star

The Africa Star

The George Medal

Returning from War.

When Italy surrendered Dad and Ted were among the first to come home due to

their being in the R.A.M.C. protected personnel and had charge of the
repatriated wounded ex prisoners.

The main picture ( at the beginning of this blog) shows the train at Lisbon and

women of the British colony there giving out packs of cigarettes to the
soldiers.  The ex prisoners, including dad and Ted, were transferred to a hospital
ship homeward bound......the date was April 1943.

Dad's sister Lilly

This is the only picture I have of Dad's sister Lilly, who was killed at the age of 23 during a bombing raid.

.....and finally,

Thanks to Jenny for contributing the majority of the words & material for this blog, 

Graham holds a small amount of memorabilia from this time, including Dad's medals, service pay book and certificates. 

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May we never forget the sacrifices made by our war heroes!

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