Cprl Edward (Ted) Fincher
 

After years playing with military vehicles, CMPs mainly, I discovered an old wartime photo of my grandfather Edward (Ted) Fincher. He was at Dunkirk and went on to Tunisia and Sicily where he was taken prisoner of war. I never knew his role in the British Army and was surprised to find he was a driver and he is pictured here in Tunisia. That's him on the bonnet of the first vehicle. The caption on the rear of the photo is
"Cpl T Fincher. 7590737. RAOC. M.E.F."

Hi Grant,

Isn't it amazing what things turn up in the family's old personal papers!

Would you like me to try and crop that photo down to just the vehicles and the soldiers? I'd be glad to have a try for you, although I can't promise I'll succeed yet :)

Karmen

I'm fine with it thanks Carmen. I saw this photo at my mothers in Dec 05 and waited for a copy she promised to send. I went back in Dec 06 and got the original. I promised Keith I would post it as soon as I arrived home so I just scanned it in. Apparently my uncle gave it to my mother with some other family photos from my my father's side of the family. My uncle also fought in Egypt and Italy. My grandfather died in 1963 at the age of 60, so he must have been about 40 when he was captured and my uncle in his teens. I wonder how many fathers and sons fought in the war? Just imagine the poor wives and mothers. I can only go on what I heard as a child but I believe he was in a Luftstalag right up until the end of the war and did not arrive back in England until 1947.
Grant Fincher
:remember

Meaning you're fine with the photo "as is" and No thank you Carman, don't crop and resize? :) OR ... you're fine with me having a go at it?

Yes, I think about things like that two, when a woman see both her husband and sons off to war. The women must have really gone through a lot of tough times with their sons and husbands away to war. And how hard to have one or all of them not come home again. Harsh. Lives changed forevermore.

If you want to know more about your Grandfather, can you not get your grandfathers service records? :salute: :remember

By the way, I posted a thread about brothers who died same day at war, in the histpory area. I will be contacting the site I found these biographies on and seeing about adding my Grannies first cousins, Archie and William Viznaugh who died same day in WW1. One is listed on Vimy Ridge as he was MIA.

Carman

Yes, I mean no. I have the original and I have also scanned and saved it to a file. Thanks anyway.
I'll be honest I have not thought about chasing any records. From what I'm told he was a bit of a rogue and any records may not be too flattering. I know he was chased out of France at Dunkirk and had 4 boats shot out from under him before he made it across the channel. He played up like a second hand watch in England before shipping out to the Middle East.
As a kid he was just a bald old man who drove big lorries with my Dad.
:remember

Grant Fincher

Okay, now I know you mean NO and thank you anyways ;)

Ah, families. Yes we have all kinds in our family trees. Personally I love to hear about them all, good, bad, or indifferent and it seems the more I learn about the individuals, the more both/and I see.

I wonder why your Grandfather was such a "rogue" :) He certainly sounds like he had some hairraising experiences.

My favorite Uncle John (Mom's Uncle) had a rep for having a still in the woods behind his house and he was always one jump ahead of the authorities in moving it before he could be caught. He was a gunner in WW2. Maybe after the war he came home and decided to make his own white lightening to have a steady and ready supply for himself. I know nothing of his service experiences and one day want his service records, but it all costs money I dn't have, as I'd be purchasing a few family service records. If anything, they are interesting and informative about all sorts of things, including service.

Geez, I got yappy again, didn't I? :D

Stop now. Over.

:salute: