My father in law, born and bred in Oxford, was a mere nineteen years old when, as a sergeant in the British Army Air Corps, Glider Pilot Regiment, he flew a Horsa glider with it's cargo of heavy guns and munitions in to Arnhem, Holland. This battle is frequently referred to as "A Bridge Too Far". After successfully unloading his cargo he joined the fighting, but after four days he sustained a serious bullet injury to the face, subsequently resulting in him losing his right eye, was over run by German forces and taken prisoner. After seven months and many tall tales as a POW he made his escape. The escape itself is a huge tale to tell and amazingly he managed to traverse war torn Europe from his point of escape in Germany to his home in Oxford in almost exactly seven days, in itself quite the feat.
Because of the loss of his eye and other injuries sustained in the war he was discharged from the army soon after V.E. day , and he went to work in Morris Motors, Oxford, training and qualifying as a mechanical engineer. He was offered and accepted a two year secondment to Dublin where he was to help in the setting up of a Morris Minor assembly plant. His stay in Dublin became a permanent one when he met and married my mother in law. He eventually left Morris Motors to set up his own business as an insurance assessor and became one of the most respected figures in the industry.
Retirement didn't mean that he slowed down at all and he gave a lot of his time to the British Legion in Dublin, representing his fellow army veterans. He also became an accomplished wood turner and one of my most treasured possessions is a large wooden salad bowl turned by his gifted hands. Despite being so busy he never lost sight of his main priority in life which was his family. He was a loving, generous and interested Granddad right up to his passing.
Despite being held in such high esteem in so many quarters he was still extremely humble, enjoying all variety of company and conversation. His great sense of humour was often wicked but never malicious. He was always good company and I have many things to be grateful to him for, most important of all his younger daughter.
We had a great chat just a few days before he died and he said that for a father in law and a son in law we had got on all right.
We got on a lot, lot more than all right. I am really going to miss the old bugger.
RIP Johnny.
