My nan served in the RAF during WW2, she openly admitted she did not want to join any of the armed forces before WW2 but she joined up right at the start to do her bit for King and country. She served as a driver at various RAF stations doing various duties throughout the war including tankers for re-fueling the bombers, delivering coal for Bomber Harris and Winston Churchill (she got put on jankers for not saluting Churchill and claimed Harris was a very nice man!).
A few years ago I took her to see the Lancaster at East Kirkby, she thoroughly enjoyed her day there, at one point she pointed out a photo to me. On that photo was a Lancaster crew, she pointed to the pilot saying she courted him for a while. I asked her if they survived their tour she said “Oh yes without a scratch!!” she also said that she went out with 3 other Lancaster pilots who also all survived their tours. I guess she was very good luck for them.
She claimed her time in the RAF was the best years of her life, after the war things were just a little bit to dull and she didn’t know what to do with herself, but she sorted herself out got married had a daughter and spent the rest of her life in relative obscurity.
Mrs Iris Thorpe passed away this morning at the grand old age of 93, she never asked for thanks for serving during the war, indeed the box that contains her medals has never been opened but they will be, for one day only they will be displayed at her funeral then they will go back in the box and I will pass them on to my children eventually.
As I’m writing this I cant stop the tears rolling and neither do I want to, I went to see her last night told her I loved her and on leaving I gave her a full military salute (I also served in the RAF). I will miss you nan, thank you for giving me some wonderful stories about your time in the RAF….I love you RIP xxx
Attached is a photo of my nan taken I believe about 1938.
MRS IRIS THORPE 1920-10th MAY 2014 by Gaz West, on Flickr
PS. For a while she served at Goxhill when the Americans were based there. The Americans were the only ones who could make her use bad language, I quote her words now “Those bloody Americans they used to drop bombs anywhere!”. She never told me the full story but I guess at some point she was on the receiving end of some friendly American bombs!
I’m sorry for babbling out all this to you all, but I wanted to tell of her experiences during the war, and to be perfectly frank I wanted her exploits to be known so that I can say….
Thank You
By: trumper - 11th May 2014 at 14:36
Thank you all for the very kind comments, they all mean a huge amount to me. Thank you also for letting me vent my feelings onto this forum it has helped me start my grieving process a huge amount. On another note, I have no idea how to mount her medals correctly with out ruining them, any ideas?
I would post that question on the historic part of the forum-many practical people with experience on there 🙂
By: Mr Creosote - 11th May 2014 at 12:56
That’s one of the best things I’ve read on the internet for many moons. A great evocation of a lady who not only “did her bit” (and probably a bit more) in her country’s hour of need, but who clearly lived her whole life to the utmost. It annoys me sometimes to see people now who waste their lives away on drink and drugs, never even consider putting anything back into society, and yet still feel they have the right to scoff at the older generation and their seemingly old-fashioned values. What will they have to look back on, compared to your Nan, when the end draws near? Without people like your Nan, they (and the rest of us) would almost certainly be living in a very different world now, so thanks Mrs Thorpe.
By: Last Lightning - 11th May 2014 at 10:15
Thank you all for the very kind comments, they all mean a huge amount to me. Thank you also for letting me vent my feelings onto this forum it has helped me start my grieving process a huge amount. On another note, I have no idea how to mount her medals correctly with out ruining them, any ideas?
By: trumper - 10th May 2014 at 14:37
You and your family have my sympathy, though in truth it sounds like she had a long and fulfilling life that many would envy.
Moggy
Absolutely – a life celebrated 🙂
By: John Green - 10th May 2014 at 11:11
First class tribute, movingly expressed.
By: Moggy C - 10th May 2014 at 09:17
Bless her.
Like so many of her era, in ‘doing her bit’ she experienced an intensity that can never be found in peacetime.
You and your family have my sympathy, though in truth it sounds like she had a long and fulfilling life that many would envy.
Moggy
By: paul178 - 10th May 2014 at 09:03
Thank for sharing about this lovely lady. My she rest in peace. From the picture I can see why she had so many admirers!
I am sorry for your sadness but glad you can show what she meant to you. The tears will pass but the happy memories will remain.
Paul
By: trumper - 10th May 2014 at 08:59
There are a majority of people of that era who were THE unsung heroes,all did their bit but to us they were Nan ,Grandad.A lovely write up and if in the future you feel like adding more stories i for one would love to read them.
We do seem to think of old people as always being that age but now i am getting older [ 51 ] i have to remind my teenagers that i was their age once,i was alot fitter than they are now .Grandparent had a life before we came along and they had a life in much more interesting times.
My Nan passed away on News Years Day ,that was her all over LOL, but it was only at her wake when the elders of the family were gathered around talking about her we realised there was a whole different person we as Grand children never knew.
R I P and enjoy the memories of the times you had with her. :angel:
By: charliehunt - 10th May 2014 at 08:47
A lovely and fine tribute. Good of you to share it.:)
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May 10, 2014 at 8:33 am