Living married Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• _UID: 60BE861BD26A4C9CB4655B640660A9BC866E

Notes:

Bob was educated at Bridlington Grammer School and went to Wrekin College, Wellington.

Bob enjoyed sailing with his father off the coast of Bridlington and horse riding, in which he became proficient. The family had a large stables and riding school in Bridlington.

After school Bob went into the Army. He went to the Royal Military College at Woolwich. The RMA trained cadets to be officers in the Royal Artillery. Bob was commissioned in the Royal Artillery in 1937.

In September 1940 he went to France and Belgium with the 2nd Medium Regiment RA as part of the British Expeditionery Force BEF. In the early days - the Phoney War - the BEF hung around waiting to see what would happen next. Dad appears to spent much time gambling at Poker and trying to relieve the French of their stocks of grand wines.
The war started in earnest on xxxxxxxx for dad. He recalled knocking off a few church spires with his troop of guns and being machine gunned by German fighters whilst in retreat with the rest of the BEF. He recalled losing a friend who was riding a motorbike behind the vehicle he was travelling in.
In xxxxx 1941 he was evacuated from Dunkirk in Northern France.
In xxxxx 1941 Bob started Flying. He joined No1 EFTS at Reading one of the first 6 Army pilots to join the experimental unit of the Air OP (AOP). The idea was to take experienced gunners into the air to observe and direct gunnery against the enemy. This job was normally performed by the RAF who lacked the appropriate gunnery skills.

Bob had a couple of minor crashes in this early period but most importantly met a young girl Kathleen Campigli (my mother).

On 9th December 1941 he had his 3rd prang. He crashed into the Isle of Wight. This was a serious crash and he was unconscious for many days, nearly losing his leg which was saved by pioneering surgery undertaken by an American surgeon. Thereafter one leg was shorter than the other.

Bob came out of Hospital in June 1942.

Credit: Charles Kenneth Sommerville Harker

Robert married Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]