My point was that although he lived in London he probably didn't have to join the British army (he was Irish). On a personal level he must have felt it was necessary (he wasn't a gung-ho type - one of his ongoing themes was how crazy career soldiers were).
Coincidentally it's VJ day today.
I grew up on stories about his time in Burma and India. It's a pity that I can't remember any of them now. My dad once had an idea that he would record them, but I suppose that never went anywhere.
It's hard to say, but maybe those stories had some effect on me in my formative years that still live on with me today.
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That always happens with elderly relatives ... you listen to their stories for so long but never think about recording them for posterity.
Perhaps you could apply for his service records?
yeh i think my dad got all them, including medals etc which my grandad never acknowledged...
I think he did it for the money. And I also think he regretted it in a lot of ways. But I suppose I only think that because he never took any interest in his medals and all that. But I was so young when he died, I don't really know any of the stories, or his opinions on them, first hand.
For the money? Really? I never got that impression. We'll prob have a chat about it when I get back
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