I have always been fascinated by the life of my great-grandfather John Bellas. Born into a coal mining family originally from Flintshire, Wales, he spent his entire life working down the mines. John was born in 1859 in St Giles, County Durham, England. He was the third child and first son for David Bellis and … Continue reading The Life of a Miner: from County Durham, England to Kimberley, South Africa.
Category: British Isles Research
One of The Second World War’s Best Kept Secrets – Misfortune for the HMS Curacao
The headlines rang out with the news: “Queen Mary Cut Cruiser in Two. Disaster that was Kept Secret.” (Dundee Courier) and “Queen Mary Sank a British Cruiser. Disaster While Evading U-Boat” (Daily Record). It was Friday 18 May 1945. Joseph and Mary Thomas had been wondering for 3 years exactly how and where their youngest … Continue reading One of The Second World War’s Best Kept Secrets – Misfortune for the HMS Curacao
Behind the Scenes of a War
On the night of April 25, 1945 LAC (Leading Aircraftsman) Thomas was involved with the last operational mission for Bomber Command No. 35 Squadron based at R.A.F. Graveley in Huntingdonshire, England. This last mission would provide tons of vitally needed medical supplies to the Allied men on the ground in Germany and occupied France prisoner … Continue reading Behind the Scenes of a War
KindredPast 