In this week that leads up to Remembrance Sunday, I would like to pay tribute to four brave and special men. The first three I knew nothing about until I researched my family tree, they are my uncles, Harry, William and John. They were all killed in action during WW2, my uncles, my mother’s brothers, my grandmother Rosetta’s sons. I cannot imagine the pain the pain my grandmother had to bear.

Able Seaman Harry Jeffery HMS Jupiter 22/02/1942 18 years old

Battle of Java Sea - Indonesia

Able Seaman William Jeffery HMS Walney 08/11/1942 20 years old

Operation Torch - North Africa

Private John Jeffery Queens Royal Reg 27/07/1945 20 years old*

Burma, just north of Rangoon

*Just two weeks before the end of the war with Japan.

Unfortunately, there was no Saving Private (Ryan) Jeffery for my Grandmother Rosetta or my Mother Elsie, just years of being strong and not talking about their pain. A pain that I feel for them all today.

Then there was my father, William Leonard Allsop, who lied about his age to join the British Army in 1937, and served in Singapore, Burma and N W Europe during WW2.

He also had military postings to Egypt, Kenya, Germany as well as the UK in his 25 years of service. A very special person and father, who I greatly miss.

I am so proud and love of all four of them, and with this post I now put their names into the ether of social media to remain forever. They will not be forgotten. I will remember them always.