A visit to my brother's grave

View attachment 18520

In March last year I was one one of a party of five that visited my brother Jack's grave in the CWGC Cemetery at Durnbach.

I can do no better than refer you to the story of his death, movingly told by his son on the BBC People's War Archives.
BBC - WW2 People's War - The night my father was killed in action


Although I had done much research on the loss of my brother on the 16th March 1945, this was the first time that I had actually visited his resting place and the visit was of special importance to me because I was accompanied by his son and daughter, one of his grand-daughters and my own dear wife.

On the drive South from Munich airport to Bad Tolz (some 7 miles from Durnbach and where we stayed for a couple of nights) it was actually snowing ! but by the next day the weather miraculously changed to 20 degrees and our visit was made in glorious sunshine.

The cemetery is very impressive and immaculate and we were fortunate to meet and chat with the senior gardener Paul Willing who was extremely helpful and courteous and seemed to know the background to all the numerous grave-sites. Amongst the gravesites at Durnbach that we were shown, were the burial places of the crew of Operation Whisky.
http://www.tempsford.20m.com/v9976.html

We spent some two hours at the site and I was glad to be able to take 19 photos for AJEX (Association of Jewish Ex Servicemen & Women) and leave Ajex markers on all the Jewish graves i also took a couple of snaps for some ww2talk members

Finally, it has taken me an awful long time to pay this visit but I will be eternally grateful that I was able to do so.

Ron
http://ronsactualarmyalbum.blogspot.co.uk/

 

Rest in Peace, Jack.

 

May He RIP...

 

Be at peace, Jack.

Thank you very much for sharing your brother's story, Ron. It was also very moving to read about and see pictures of your visit to his grave. May the sacrifice and memories of all who fell in that cataclysmic war never be forgotten.

 

Ron,

I am so very touched to be allowed to share your visit to your brother's resting place, as I am sure all of the other forum members are.

Thank you for sharing. And thank you to your brother for his extraordinary sacrifice, and to your family for having to live with that sacrifice.

~Clem

 

Ron, it was a privilege to read your war time experiences some while back. Am amazing journey extending even beyond the war. Like Clementine, I am touched by you sharing this post with us. My best friend growing up, we were both born in 1940, was Jewish , and I spent much of my youth in a synagogue with him and he in an Episcopal church with me. When I visit WW1 and 2 cemeteries I always look for Stars of David. t is touching to see your brother's , Jack, זייַ געזונט

 

Friends

Again, thanks for all your generous comments.

I seem to write a lot these days, for whatever reason, but thought it right to mention here that I do think twice before posting what some might consider to be of a "personal" nature

I think my first criteria for choosing which subjects on which to post is usually "Is it of ww2 interest?" but, of late, my over-riding factor on my choice of subjects is "Should we remember ?"

Lest we forget !

Ron

 

Thank you so much for sharing this with everyone. I am currently 27, and in the article written by Jack's son..it says he was 27 when the war broke out. There are no words to explain how brave these freedom fighters were, and to think of saving the world at my age..unreal. They did though, save the world. I have a certain passion for reading memoirs and journals and firsthand accounts of WWII, for the same reason that you post. We should remember. We should remember every day. I grew up in a very different America than my parents and grandparents did, it seems like there's a huge curtain..America pre-WWII and America post-WWII. I am often very disheartened at the state of our government and it's citizens, but when I learn about WWII I am reminded of what Americans are capable of. I am reminded of the sacrifices that have been made to get us this far. I am reminded that everyone stepped up to the plate, came together and did what needed to be done. I am mostly reminded about why I should never forget, why I should always read and learn about it; they did the hard work and it's up to the rest of us to ensure that the freedom they paid for, withstands. Thank you again for sharing, and may Jack rest peacefully until we all meet again.

Gretchen

 

Thanks for sharing what had to be a very emotional and personal moment for you.

 

Thanks so much for sharing this with us!

 

The "should we remember" attitude is a vey wise one Ron. While it's time and you are still around (hopefully for many more years) it allows you to write down some thoughts on virtual paper for posterity.

Maybe in fifty years or so, a young student will read one of these stories and start a presentation with it. Another person might want to adopt a grave, a third set up a local memorial for a flyer etc...

This is our modest way of contributing so the "Greatest Generation" will never be forgotten . The fact that these accounts still have some first hand stories from surviving Veterans like you makes it an even better data base.

 

Ron, Personal nature stories are what the world needs to hear and see. In these X factor days, it needs to be remembered that some like your brother and yourself had a different X factor to cope with for all our beneft today.

 

Thank you, Ron, for all you contribute to our collective remembrance of the Giants among men, who won the Second World War. Rest in eternal peace, Jack, Sir! :S!

 

Ron, thanks for the story.