Ockham War Memorial

12 Responses to Ockham War Memorial

1. william stephen langley says:

   August 23, 2013 at 10:23 am

   At last I now know what happened to Ivor Gibbons. The last time we met was at the Drift end of East Lane, by Bruce Tyrrell’s old cottage….1940?….Ivor was driving a three wheeled baker’s van from ,I think, Ripley, and I was pushing a butcher’s bike belonging to C A Tidy of Long Reach West Horsley. ..Although we did not get along at Ockham School , we chatted and had a laugh and parted on good terms. …Later Ivor’s mother would tell me that I reminded her of her lost son, which was very sad….as we were both tall and similar in build but I was classed as C 3 and not able to join the forces…….. …. What would Ivor had done with his life?………what a terrible waste….He had a brother Roger, what became of him? Thank you for this space ..Bill

   Reply
   • Magicfingers says:

     August 25, 2013 at 3:07 pm

     Very interesting Bill. Thanks for sharing your story…

     Reply
   • Timothy Hewlett says:

     August 5, 2020 at 7:44 am

     Sir
     My mother, Doreen Hook, was born in 1924 and attended Ockham School, as did her brother and sister. A long time family friend, Jack Steadman, told my mother and me that he had seen Ivor Gibbons when they were both captured at the fall of Tobruk. He also said that Ivor Gibbons was killed in a ship whilst being taken away from Tobruk harbour.

     I hope this is of interest.

     Reply
     • Magicfingers says:

       August 6, 2020 at 12:12 pm

       Hello Timothy. Thank you very much for adding to the story. I am unsure if Bill is still with us, to be blunt, as he would now be a good 100 years old I think, but he would very much have appreciated your comment, I’m sure.

       Reply
2. william stephen langley says:

   August 23, 2013 at 11:22 am

   hello, with regards Ivor Gibbons, the dates on the African memorial site, must be wrong if ivor died in 1944 at the age of 21 he could not have been born in 1921 as stated, but in 1923. I was born in 1925 and Ivor left school roundabout 1937/8 and I left in 1939. Look forward to your comments….Bill

   Reply
   • Magicfingers says:

     August 25, 2013 at 3:08 pm

     …although I don’t know anything about an African memorial site. Perhaps you can tell me a little more about it?

     Reply
     • william stephen langley says:

       September 12, 2013 at 10:55 am

       Hello Magicfingers, I must say I do like that! Re. the African memorial, I just found it whilst I was looking for Ivor. It is in the El Alamain cemetery site ,perhaps you might look it up. What are your interests? ………….I changed direction and went into light engineering and industrial model making and the redesign of the Scalextric system, quite a change from pushing a butchers bike and making sausages. One interesting chap is Freddie Gear, I’m not sure if he is still with us. The Ockham Building Works brick making unit, next door to Batchelors Farm, was where Freddie lived following on from his Father, who took us for our Scouts cycling badge, Freddie was born with vestigial fingers on his right hand, but in spite of that was a very capable engineer, as well as being a gentle man. Having googled his area it looks as if his work shops have been pulled down as only the concrete are to be seen ……..must go….. coffee kind regards ……..Bill

       Reply
3. Magicfingers says:

   September 14, 2013 at 10:47 pm

   Fascinating stuff Bill. I rather suspect that El Alamein War Cemetery is one that I will never visit, but you never know. Stranger things and all that.

   Reply
4. william stephen langley says:

   September 16, 2013 at 12:05 pm

   Hello magicfingers, thank for your pix which, I must say, are of a high quality. Love the cats! Are you gathering material for a book? kind regards Bill

   Reply
5. Magicfingers says:

   September 16, 2013 at 9:38 pm

   Thank you for your kind words Bill. I’m no pro, but I guess I take some half decent shots now and then. Glad you liked my little Spanish Interlude. Whether any of this will find its way into the pages of a book is anyone’s guess. Maybe a publisher will get in touch and offer me huge sums to do just that.

   Maybe I’ll win the lottery.

   Reply
6. william stephen langley says:

   October 18, 2013 at 10:27 am

   hello, Magicfingers, thank you for your latest. Have had my mail blocked for the last few weeks so unable to react to incoming info. best of wishes with your hunting. Just thought, my father was in the Rifle Brigade and had done his twelve years in Malta. Egypt , opening of the Cape to Cairo railway with Kitchener and India, went on reserve and was called up for the 1914 lot. He was a machine gunner, captured, escaped, recaptured on the border to Holland and sent to Konigsburg, where cannibalism was seen in the Russian prison. They were not signed up to the Red Cross Convention . He said the conditions were awful. Thought you might be interested. kind regards…………Bill

   Reply
7. Magicfingers says:

   October 21, 2013 at 12:40 am

   Hello Bill. I am indeed interested. A fascinating story. Were you aware that the Germans actually constructed an electric fence all along the border to Holland to prevent anyone crossing? There are photos of it if you search for them.

   Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.