VJ Day 2020

Remembering my Grandpa – John Loudon

I came across these photographs sent by John to his wife, my Gran Isa, back home in Airdrie. John enlisted on 21st January 1943 and was discharged on 13th December 1946.

He served in the war against Japan, in Singapore for some of that time and served in the 40th Tank Brigade REME – the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). Much later REME adopted the Singapore Lion as it’s emblem.

My mum, born in 1939, recalls that her first memory of her Dad was quite traumatic, standing on the platform at Glasgow Central where her mum pointed to this stranger in a uniform and said it was her father.

John went on to use those engineering skills on ‘civvy street’ building New Towns around the outskirts of Glasgow. Cumbernauld was one of these. He has a steward and leader at Airdrie Methodist Church and took great pride in using his skills to look after the fabric of the church building.

These pictures give a little glimpse of the man he was at the time. His army mates were really important and many of the photos have scribbled notes of tenderness or humour on the back.

Those who remember him from before the war have often commented that he was never the same man when he returned. For me, John was always Grandpa and whilst warm and loving and fondly remembered, he also seemed quite emotionally reserved. He rarely, if ever, spoke about his experiences in the war although he blamed the wearing of his helmet for his lack of hair and the boots for his bad feet.

As I recall, he was present when the peace declaration was signed in Singapore.

Mrs Burton’s Boys

Here, Peter Burton, Head of Business and Finance at Age UK  Rotherham remembers his family’s involvement.

Family at War

We will remember them.

15^th August 1945

Les and Doris Burton of Osbert Road, Broom in Rotherham are today breathing a sigh of relief. Mrs Burton’s boys have come through it.

Frank “Bunny” Burton, drafted straight into the British Expeditionary Force Durham Light Infantry as war broke out, lived through Dunkirk and served throughout the war. Her other son Philip ”Monty” Burton, called up on his eighteenth has been with the Royal Signals in the South East Asia campaign, and is believed to have reached Singapore.

After the war

Bunny trains as a Solicitor but dies suddenly aged 46 in the mid sixties leaving a wife and four daughters. Phil marries has two children, lives and works in Rotherham until his death in 2011.

1957 Whiston Parish Church - A beautiful baby

The above photo shows:

Second left - GL Burton, RAF, France World War 1

Third left - GP Burton War Office Signals, SE Asia Campaign

First right-T Robertshaw, Royal Artillery, Burma Campaign World War 2

Second Right - FL Burton, Durham Light Infantry, World War 2

Elizabeth Burton, holding baby Peter in the photo, is now resident, with her memories, in a local care home.

None of the above ever glorified war. They had seen “man’s inhumanity to man” and never wanted our generation to go through what they did. They came home and we are all the better for it.

15^th August 2020

We pay tribute to the suffering and sacrifice of the Second World War generation.

We best remember those of the forgotten army who did not return by the “Kohima Epitaph”.

A time to remember

On VJ Day, 92yr old Elizabeth Burton, who is also one of our service users, will remember with great sadness and affection not only her husband Phil and her brother in law Bunny but her own brother Tom Robertshaw who served with distinction in the Royal Artillery throughout the Burma campaign.

“When Tom came home we had a gate at the back of the shop. He didn’t bother with it he vaulted it in one, he was that pleased to be home!”

Peter said, ‘Age UK Rotherham’s Care and Support Service team have supported mum over the past couple of years and I want to thank every member of the team who has been there for her.’