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Thank you for listening to we have ways of making you talk. Sign up to our Patreon to receive bonus content, live streams and our weekly newsletter with money off books and museum visits as well. Plus early access to all live show tickets. That's patreon.com wehaveways.
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Hey parents, how do you make smarter choices for your kids? College today, that's where Sally can help Sally. You can find scholarships, funding options, tools and guidance all in one place. And if you need a loan, Sally has options for different families and different situations. College is only worth it if you do it right. So don't just help your kid, go help them. Go smarter. Sally.com GoParents Introducing Meta Glasses Hey Meta,
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any last minute tables for two tonight?
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Sure. There's a great Italian restaurant 15 minutes away.
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Hey Meta, where's the nearest flower shot?
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Five minutes away straight down Broadway past the bodega. Their lilies are trending on Instagram.
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Just saying.
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Hey Meta, am I forgetting anything else?
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How about setting a calendar reminder for next year? Meta Glasses available in more than 20 styles.
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This episode is brought to you by Refund Club.
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Now, if there is one eternal lesson of history, it's that paperwork matters. The forgotten agreement, the line in the ledger. Often that's where the story changes and
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there's a paper trail that could rewrite your own history. If you financed a car in the UK between 2007 and 2021 with lenders like Blackhorse or Barclays, you could be owed money.
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Yep, the check takes about 60 seconds. I ran my details and a couple of old agreements popped out without needing any relic registration numbers.
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And it's completely free to check. You only pay a fee if your claim is successful.
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How about that? The Financial Conduct Authority confirmed millions of UK drivers were hit with hidden commissions. And if you finance more than one car since 2007, each could be a separate claim. With the average payout at 829 pounds a pop, it all adds up.
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If you're a driver in the UK,
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visit refundclub.co.ukwhw that's refundclub.co.ukwh for your free check. Welcome to this special edition of Family Stories. To coincide with the ongoing 2026 World cup, we will be diving into some family stories that explore the intersection of football and the Second World War. And don't worry if you're not football fan. There's some really fantastic hidden history here from a US Fighter ace who served with astronaut Neil Armstro. An Australian family's quest to remember Their lost grandfather, secrets left on a Second World War church program and the factory that made footballs for England's 1966 World cup victory. But first of all we have this story read by James from Will and
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Will says my story is really my neighbor's family story. During the COVID lockdown I put on a small, socially distanced military display at the end of my drive to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day. Various neighbors came out to have a look on the sunny day. One of them, Dave Samways, brought across a family heirloom. It was a program for the 8th Army Service of Thanksgiving. This religious ceremony to mark the end of the war was held on Sunday, May 13, 1945 in Italy. The colorful cover surrounded by all the badges of the component units of the 8th army des Father had his copy signed by various famous footballers which seemed odd. The signatures were Tommy Lawton, Frank Swift, Morris Edelston, Joe Mercer, Matt Busby which was the best as far as Dave, a Manchester United fan, was concerned. It took time to find the answer to how he could have collected all these signatures. Lawson played for Everton as did Mercer, Swift for Manchester City, Edelson for Reading. While Busby was still a Liverpool player in 1945, research in the contemporary newspapers shows that all have been members of a British services touring side that traveled from Britain to play against the sides in Italy, Malta and Greece. Matt Busby, though signed as a player to Liverpool, was also an army physical training instructor or PTI at Sandhurst at this stage of the war in February 1945 he had signed the contract to become manager of Manchester United from the 1st of October that year. With the end of the war the military decided to send a top class side to entertain the troops. Busby was selected for his managerial skills though he would also appear on the pitch during the tour. In goal was Frank Swift who had appeared for England. His performances during the tour were described as superb. This despite also being the luggage man for the tour. There were no air conditioned coaches and hotels. Manchester City and England's Bert Sproston, also an army PTI, was in charge of rations, that is standard army rations. Sproston had been part of the 1938 England side that played against Germany and Berlin at the height of the Munich crisis. The team were ordered by the British ambassador to give the Nazis salute before the game. Sprosten was unimpressed and the Yorkshire born left back told Stanley Matthews I knowt now about politics and to like all I know is football but the way I see it yon Hitler fella is an evil little twat. Well, that's putting it one way. After the game a 17 year old German Jew, Rolf Lindland, approached him for help to escape Germany. Sproston arranged for him to be invited as part of a representative side to England where he managed to extend his visa then get a job that allowed him to stay. That boy joined the pioneer corps in June 1941, changing his name to Ralph Freeman in case of capture. In 1943 he saved a boy from drowning on a Welsh beach. He would later be wounded in northwest Europe fighting for his adopted country. Cliff Britton of Everton and England, another PTI was responsible for team transport Manian army trucks. On 16 May during the tour he was appointed manager of second division Burnley Army PTI and midfielder Archie McCauley of West Ham had appeared several times for Scotland in unofficial wartime internationals and became an unlikely interpreter for the team as they travelled. Other team members included Douglas Hunt of Sheffield Wednesday, Willie Watson of Huddersfield, Jackie Martin of Aston Villa and Danny Winter of Bolton Wanderers. Watson was unusual in that he would appear for England for both football and cricket. The team set out on May 6. On 12 May they played a combined Mediterranean Forces side at Rome in front of a crowd of 30,000. Everton and England's centre forward scored five goals in the 102 victory for the tourists at the Vomero Stadium in Naples. Another 30,000 gates saw a 2, 2 draw against the United Services 11. The only game in the 10 game trip the Busby's team failed to win. Their fifth game was a 10 nil victory against Fifth Army. The tour finished in Greece with a 3, 0 win against a Greek Federation side in Athens on 30th of May. Lawton and Mercer were not there having flown back to England to play for their country against France at Wembley on 29th May. Dave's dad had managed to catch the great players long enough to get their signatures. Bon accorde wrote Busby. A lovely piece of ephemera and a little known footballing tale despite the thousands of soldiers who saw them play. That story was from Will and it's making me wonder whatever happened to Tom Finney. He was serving in 8th army in a tank in Italy at the time and was playing all sorts of football matches immediately after the war as well. But who knows?
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That's fantastic. Thanks very much Will. Our next one comes from Alfie. Right, this is the story of one set of my maternal great grandparents Bob and Annie Aldroyd, whose lives were marked by the intersection of sport and the Second World War. Their jobs at the Sykes and Schlesinger sporting goods factory in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, directly impacted the later work they did during the war and indirectly connected them to some of the most famous sportsmen and competitions of the mid 20th century. Annie Blackburn was born in the Yorkshire town of Horbury in 1920, an area of heavy industry that had drawn many people, including Annie's Irish grandfather, to work in local coal mines and mills. At the age of 14, in 1934, she began to work at the Slassinger factory in Horbury, which produced sports equipment such as cricket bats, footballs and tennis rackets. Nearby to the Slasinger works was the William Sykes leather and sporting goods factory. Sykes specialized in zigzag footballs and it was a Horbury made Sykes ball that was used in the 1934 World cup final held in Fascist Italy when Italy beat Czechoslovakia 2 1, as well as in the FA cup final of 1939. Bob Oldroyd was born on 1 June 1914 in the Thornhill Leas area of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. He also began working at Slasinger as a teenager, crossing paths with Annie and beginning a relationship that would last 60 years, perhaps seeing that global trouble was brewing. On 6 May 1931, Bob joined the local Territorial army unit as a reservist, aged 16. His enlistment form noted his profession as hockey stick bender. After enlistment, Bob was posted to the 4th Battalion of the King's Own Yorkshire Light infantry, the Koili. The Koila was a common regiment for men from his part of Yorkshire and his relatives had served in it during the First World War. Throughout the 1930s, Bob attended regular Territorial army camps and his photos show happy days spent with his friends. He became an Army PT instructor, documenting him and his mates gymnastic feats on his camera. The lives of Annie and Bob were quickly affected by the rising tensions of the summer of 1939. On the 1st of July 1939, a month after his 25th birthday, Bob was transferred to the 2nd 4th Battalion, gave King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. This was formed after the Territorial army split the 4th Battalion Koili to form the 1st 4th and 2nd 4th Battalions. On 2nd September, he was called to colours and transferred to active service. The day before Britain declared war on Nazi Germany. On the 4th of September, Bob was promoted to sergeant. The spring of 1940 brought deployment to Europe. On the 26th of April 1940, Bob was sent to France with the British Expeditionary Force. With Bob away In France, Annie continued to work at Schlesinger as Horbury's local factories switched to war production. The Sykes factory began to manufacture the wooden butts for Lanchester submachine guns, leaning on its experience making cricket bats. Later, in 1942, Slazinger would buy Sykes, creating Slassinger Sykes as part of the 46th Infantry Division. Bob's unit was sent to France to initially aid with labouring and pioneer duties. As such, it was very lightly equipped and unprepared for the German invasion of France and Belgium. In May 1940. As panic ensued, the 2nd 4th Battalion Koili was moved up to the canal network outside Lille to assist in its defence. It was badly prepared for the German forces it encountered and suffered heavy casualties. The withdrawal from France was chaotic and its battalion found itself separated from others in the 46th, the 2nd 4th Battalion being on the southern side of the German advance into France. Unable to retreat from Dunkirk, Bob and his comrades fought west across France, where the battalion was engaged in heavy fighting in defence of bridges across the Seine at Pont de l'.
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Arche.
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On 18 June 1940, he was evacuated from France as part of Operation Aerial from either Cherbourg or Saint Nazaire. We know little about his service following this, except that he spent time in Howick, Northumberland and St Andrews, Scotland, guarding against any possible German invasion of Britain's east coast. The summer of 1940 brought happier days and in August 1940 Bob and Annie were married in Horbury, their wedding photo showing them both beaming with joy after such a harrowing time apart. On 8th November 1940, Bob was released from his army service, having been made Class wt, which alluded to him having a skilled trade. Due to his factory work, army forms show that he was moved to civilian industries to work as an aircraft fitter. Annie also contributed on the home front and began her work in a munitions factory, which would last until the end of the war. The couple lived in Reading, where the industries they both worked were based. They never took to the south as Annie travelled back to Yorkshire for the birth of their daughter Marilyn in December 1943. Traversing Blitz London to take the train from King's Cross so that her daughter would be born in the north of England. Following the war, the couple immediately came back to West Yorkshire. Annie briefly worked at a woollen mill before returning to work in the leather goods department of Slazinger sykes. In the 1950s, she tried to become a trade union shop steward at the factory, hearing about the better conditions for women workers in nearby plants. When management found out, she was told that she would be swiftly sacked if she attempted to organise any further. Early newspaper cuttings that we have show her arguing with a local Conservative national government candidate at the 1935 British general election. Bob also returned to Schlesinger continuing his work creating sporting equipment where family law has it that he made tennis rackets for Fred Perry. Due to his skills in the early 1950s he was sent by the company to work in South Africa, training workers in a new Schlesinger factory where he didn't see Annie or Marilyn for four years. After his return to England, Bob continued to work at Schlesinger until retirement. In the late 1970s, Annie and her co workers had in their own small way played a secret part in England's notorious 1966 World cup victory. Their department at the Slazinger Sykes factory were responsible for making the tournament's footballs. She would continue to work at the factory until the leather goods department was suddenly closed and work outsourced in the 1980s. The war was never really spoken about at home, though. Many photographs of Bob's army service were passed on in our family alongside photographs of Annie's work at Slasinger. The intense fighting of the spring of 1940 made a clear mark on Bob and it was not a topic that was ever brought up. Sadly, Annie passed away in 1990 and Bob in 1996. Although never getting to meet them, my childhood was filled of stories of their kindness, cooking and love for sport. Through these memories they've become part of my own life and those of my siblings and cousins. They were ordinary people who did their best in dark times, never losing sight of the lighter side of life. We will never forget them. That story was from Alfie. We're going to take a break now. We'll be back in a second. Right now get up to 15% off select storage solutions put heavy duty HDX totes to good use, protecting what's important to you. The solid impact resistant design prevents cracking and the clear base and sides make items easy to find even when the totes are stacked. Find select shelving and tote storage up to 15% off at the Home Depot. To organize every room in your home from your garage to your attic, visit homedepot.com how doers get more done
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this episode is brought to you by State Farm. Listening to this podcast instead of doom scrolling Smart move, Another smart move getting help from one of State Farm's 19,000 local agents when you choose to bundle home and auto bundling just another Way to save with the personal price plan. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts, and savings and eligibility vary by state.
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And we're live from the living room as Doug eyes up the match. Say spread. He's reaching for the buffalo wing.
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Perfect.
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Hang on.
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What's this?
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Oh, he's gone for a can of Pepsi too. Incredible. What a finish. Sensational combination. Look at the delight on his face. There's no doubt about it. It just tastes better. Match days deserve Pepsi. Food deserves Pepsi. Grab a pack of Pepsi. Zero sugar for today's match. It's poetry in motion. And this story is from Tim. And Tim writes. This is the story of my great uncle Leonard, whose service began during World War II and led him to the Korean War, where he became a fighter ace. My great uncle Leonard Chet Cheshire was born on the 9th of May, 1927 in McNavy, Arizona, to Agnes and Leonard Alvas Cheshire. Leonard Senior had served in the U.S. 4th Infantry Division in France during World War I, was a champion boxer. The couple had a large family and lived in Albuquerque, where they raised Chet and his siblings. 6th of May, 1945, Chet enlisted in the Naval Reserves with the ambition of a pilot at St. Mary's Catholic High School. He'd been a star athlete, playing center for the American football team while also competing in basketball, track and tennis. It was at St. Mary's that he met Dorothy Vescovi, the daughter of Italian immigrants. Chet was enthralled by Dorothy and they were united by their shared Catholic faith. As the Second World War raged to a close. In August 1945, Chet joined the V12 program at North Texas Agricultural College. The V12 program was created during World War II to fast track candidates through college to then join the military as officers. In October, he was transferred to Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and reclassified into the V5 aviation candidate program. With the Second World War drawing to a close in September, the V12 program came to an end and V5 was now his best chance to become an aviator. In July of 1946, he was reassigned to the University of New Mexico for an ROTC summer session. One can imagine Chet's pleasure in seeing his family and in getting to spend some time with the always lovely Dorothy. That pleasure would not last long, however. In September, he was transferred yet again to Naval Air Station NAS Los Alamitos in Southern California to begin training as an aviation cadet. Civilian life was ending for Chet and life as a member of the United States Navy was about to begin. He was 19 years old. On January 1, 1947, Chet was sent from Los Alamitos to NAS Ottomwa in Iowa to continue his flight training. Otumwa was a holdover from World War II and closed at the end of September that year. The fledgling aviators were transferred to NAS Pensacola in Florida, which is still active today and is the home base of the Blue Angels. Chet was later shipped to NAS Jacksonville in Florida to compete Naval Air Advanced training in the F4U Corsair, the legendary World War II naval fighter plane that will continue its service into the Korean War. On July 24, 1948, he proudly received his naval aviator wings. By January 1949, he was commissioned as an ensign into the Navy and ordered a duty with the elite Navy jet fighter squadron VF3 in San Diego, California. VF3 trained naval aviators in the newest jet aircraft and Chet would be trailblazing with them. He almost certainly spent 1949 and most of 1950 training in the operational tactics of of close air support from NAS San Diego and drilling in aerial combat at camp Pendleton, about 50 miles north of his home base. The F9F Panther was a carrier based fighter bomber armed with four 20mm cannons and an array of underwing rockets and bombs. Panther was the first fighter to see air to air combat between jets for the United States Navy. Some illustrious pilots would fly the F9F, including the famous astronaut Neil Armstrong. Chet would continue to fly in the Panther when deployed and his fate would be entwined with this pioneering aircraft. In June 1950, Lieutenant Commander Ernest Beecham was put in charge of Fighter Squadron 51, which was deployed on a Far east cruise as part of Commander Marshal Beebe's carrier Air Group 5 aboard the USS Valley Forge. Christened the VF51 Screaming Eagles in 1948, it was the Navy's first jet squadron, the first to operate from aircraft carriers and the first to fly Navy jets in combat. Decades later, the squadron would fly the F14 tomcats used in the film Top Gun. The Screaming Eagles were the pinnacle of Naval Aviation in 1950 and would be flying the F9 F2. Beecham was tasked with assembling a new group of pilots to join the squadron when it returned in November of that year. With fewer than a handful of returning pilots eligible for the squadron's next tour, Beecham would be able to hand pick new pilots to replace them. After selecting nine experienced aviators, including World War II veteran William Wan Maki, he tasked them with helping him choose nuggets to Join the squadron. Mackey and the others flew with potential pilots to help guide their decision. Amongst the final 15 considered were midshipman Neil Armstrong and then, now promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade, Leonard Chet, Cheshire. Chet was 24 years old, would be headed to war on June 25, 1951. The Essex and VF51 received their orders on the 28th of that month. The 872 foot long carrier raised its anchor and set course for Hawaii with Captain Austin Wheelock as skipper for the cruise. They arrived at NAS Barbers Point in Aahu on July 3rd. There the Panthers were equipped with heavy bomb racks in preparation to be a ground attack squadron, which was a big letdown according to Kramer, as they had expected that they'd be fighting migs. They spent the month of July training in Hawaii while the final decision was made on whether all the pilots would deploy overseas. On August 8, the Essex left Pearl harbor and headed towards the Sea of Japan with Chet and his division having been selected as an official part of the squadron. After a brief truce in July, hostilities between North Korea, its Chinese allies and the United Nation forces had reignited to a new level of ferocity. Following a brief stop at the US Naval base in Yokosuka, Japan, the Essex joined Task Force 77 on station 70 miles out of Wansan Harbour on the northeast coast of Korea. It was August 2, 1951. Their first combat tour was beginning. Some of the pilots of VF 51 would not be making the trip home. There are many stories I could share with you about Chet's service in Korea, but I will leave you with his final mission. A frigid dawn broke over the deck of the Essex on Saturday, January 26, 1952. Mackie, Armstrong, Cheshire and Kramer catapulted from the deck of the carrier and set course across Wansan Bay on another sortie into North Korea, this time over the Kowon district which lay closely inland from the bay. As the division was praying to head home, they spotted a camouflaged locomotive and initiated an attack run. The train survived, so Cett banked into another dive with KC on his wing to launch a second strike. As CET completed his dive, Kramer rolled into his own attack. At that moment, Chet's voice crackled over the radio calling out to his division leader, Wham. I'm hit. I'm hit bad. His Panther had been struck by anti aircraft fire. Mackey radioed Kramer to get up there fast as he was closest to the stricken plane. To his horror, Kramer saw Chet's plane in flames. The Panther's fuel tank sat behind the cockpit and the fire was emanating from that location. Cheshire pulled his plane higher and blew his canopy off to prepare for ejection. Once and Harbour was not far off and he could get over the water, he could eject and be picked up by a rescue helicopter or a destroyer. Kramer radioed for Chet to eject, but he didn't receive an answer from the burning jet. It appeared to his division that instead of ejecting, Chet was easing down to make a water landing. Armstrong believed it was clear he was going to ditch, but for some unknown reason, just before ditching at very low altitude, he ejected too low for his parachute to open. Kramer, sadly, had a better view of the situation. He was flying right off Cheshire, starboard side with a clear view of his cockpit and he never moved. Chet's faithful wingman believed that his section leader was already dead in the air. At about 150ft above the water, at speeds of 300 miles an hour, Chet hurtled from his plane and struck the water. It is believed that the fire adjacent to the cockpit caused the ejection seat to misfire and not work. After the canopy was blown, the spreading of the inferno then caused the seat to ignite and eject. As the plane skimmed above the water, no one saw a parachute open and the Panther sank quickly. Armstrong thought Chep was on the surface, but by the time the rescue helicopter arrived, however, he was nowhere to be seen. All that would be recovered at the site were his ejection seat, his helmet and his gloves. Lt. J.G. leonard Ray Cheshire's body disappeared into the Sea of Japan and would never be found. The death was a demoralizing blow to VF51. Chet had been one of their finest pilots and most popular compatriots. ESSEX Chaplain JJ Busek addressed the ship's company over the radio that night. O God, we humbly beseech thee for the soul of the pilot, our shipmate Leonard Cheshire, who died this day. Deliver him not into the hands of the enemy, but command that he may be received by the holy angels and conducted into paradise. God bless you all, men. The ESSEX January action report would simply state, conducted air operations F9F Buno 127166 crashed in Wansan Harbor. Probable cause AA fire pilot listed as killed in action. Paul Harlan, who had come to Chet for advice on religion and life, would write to Dorothy. There are many people who grieve at your loss and I want to say that I personally am one of them. Chet was a great guy and it is hard to Understand why he was chosen. Six days later the grieving pilots would leave Watson Bay with the Essex and head back to Yokosuka, ending their penultimate and most challenging tour. It would take Armstrong months to return to the novel the Cane Mutiny and pick up reading where his good friend Leonard R. Cheshire had left off. Chet received the Purple Heart, Korean War Medal and air Medal with two gold stars presented to Dorothy and Keith by Lieutenant Commander William Mooney in September 1952. His grave can still be visited in Section Ma of the National Cemetery. He is also honored on the Wall of Remembrance at the Korean War Veterans memorial in Washington D.C. and in the course of the Missing in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. Well, thank you Tim for that very moving and fascinating story.
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Our next story comes from Scott. Lionel Sidney Dalton, Naval Officer, was born on 26 October 1902 in South Melbourne, second son of Edward Lyle Dalton, the clerk from Adelaide and his Victorian born wife Annie Myra. Educated at Middle Park State School, in 1916 Sid entered the Royal Australian Naval College, the ranc in Jervis Bay. He did reasonably well academically, won colours for cricket and rugby union football and gained a reputation as a good all rounder who was prepared to have a go. In January 1920 he was promoted Midshipman and sent to sea in HMAS Australia. Based in England for further training. From 1921 Dalton served in several Royal Navy ships. He was promoted to lieutenant in December 1924, graduated from the RN Engineering College at Keyham Devonport in 1925 and returned to Australia that year. After postings to HMAS Anzac and Adelaide, he went back to England in 1927 to commission the new vessel Australia. He married Margaret Mary Anderson at St Andrew's Parish Church, Plymouth. Home again in 1931 he was posted to the seaplane carrier HMAS Albatross While an instructor from 1932 to 1934 at the Engineering School HMAS Cerberus Western Port Victoria, he was promoted to Engineer Lieutenant Commander. In 1934 he found himself once more in England standing by the 6 inch gun cruiser HMAS Sydney 2, then under construction at Wallsend in Northumberland. He sailed on her to Australia and in 1937 transferred to HMS Adelaide. My father and his mother had joined Sid in the UK for Sydney 2's commissioning and dad had vivid memories of the home voyage with his mother, particularly buying an ice cream from the wrong side of the fence on an Alexandria beach and becoming violently ill. Also of the luxurious sand pit on board their transport home. The only form of entertainment dedicated to children and one that resulted in all kids on board, winding up with Krupp. Promoted to Engineer Commander on 31 December 1937, Sid rejoined the Sydney in June 1939 as Engineer Officer. In May 1940, the ship was deployed for service in the Mediterranean. On 19 July, while patrolling off Cape Spada, Crete, a flotilla of British destroyers sighted two Italian cruisers, the Bandanare and the Bartolomeo Colleoni, some 40 nautical miles to the north. Sydney changed course to lend assistance. She pursued the Italian vessels at high speed down the west coast of Crete, destroying the Bartellamoe Colleone and damaging the Bande Nere. For his role in the battle, maintaining the ship's engines at maximum speeds despite shrapnel damage to steam lines from the one hit to the ship on the forward funnel, Lyle was awarded the DSO on her return to Alexandria the next day. It is written, as we moved down between the lines of ships, we were given a wonderful ovation. In fact, a royal welcome in every respect. Each ship had cleared the lower deck and as we passed, they each gave us three terrific cheers, followed by a loud burst of clapping, whooping and whistling. It could not have been louder or more sincere than had it been a response to an announcement that the war was over. We were so filled with pride by this kind gesture that we would not have changed places with anyone in the world. The cheering seemed to be a continuous roar for 15 minutes or more. In 1940, the demands made on Sid and his staff were enormous, with the ship steaming a total of 66,000 nautical miles, which is around 122,000 km. Sydney 2 returned to Australian waters in February 1941. On 19 November 1941, about 150 nautical miles southwest of Carnarvon, Western Australia, Sydney 2 challenged a disguised merchant vessel, later known to have been the German raider HSK Kormoran, which lured the cruiser closer, then opened fire. Both ships were lost in the action. Sydney too, with her entire complement of 645 men. Sadly, my grandfather was aboard her when she was lost. My father, 9 years old at the time, recalled the arrival of the telegram at his home with his mother, and it remaining up unopened on the kitchen table until it disappeared. Also of being called out of assembly at the local prep school with another boy whose father was also on Sydney too, and being escorted to the headmaster's office on some spurious pretext which allowed the entire school to be told of the loss of the ship. In 1946, aged 13, my father boarded a train alone in Sydney and travelled to Melbourne to join what would be the first post war intake at the Australian Naval College. During his 38 year naval career he too became an engineer officer. One of his postings was to HMAS Sydney 3, during which he completed seven or eight trips to Vietnam aboard her where she was nicknamed the Vung Tau Ferry. Dad passed in 2021, but not before Sydney 2 and Kormoran were found lying on the ocean floor almost two and a half thousand meters below the surface in 2008. The images obtained then and in a subsequent exploration in 2015 and available online are truly amazing and have done much to dispel considerable speculation, even conspiracy theories surrounding her loss. Similarly, in 2016 I was able to take my father to Geraldton in Western Australia for the 75th commemoration of the battle and the loss of Sydney 2 and Kormoran. Geraldton has the most amazing memorial there to the ship and crew which was dedicated in 2001. One of the most moving aspects of the memorial is a bronze figure of a woman looking out to sea, the waiting wife, mother or daughter. It is said that our line of sight crosses the location of the wreck. Given the significance of the commemoration, researchers from the University of Western Australia and Western Australian Museum were present to capture personal histories and stories from family members. I recall dad sitting down in front of a group of researchers and historians and being asked what he remembered. His first comment was there's my dad. As he pointed to a large image on the wall behind the panel. It showed the officers of the ship on the steps of Sydney's Town hall after their march through the city on the ship's first return to her home port following her Mediterranean campaign. Schools were closed to permit students to attend the march. It was also thrilling to see the reverence on the faces of the academics when dad produced a thin, bent piece of sheet metal mounted in a wooden block, a piece of Sydney 2's funnel Sid had obtained while supervising repairs following the only hit sustained during a successful Mediterranean adventures. It is likely the only known physical piece of the ship that remains other than what lies beneath the sea and holds a special place in our family. It was also the first and only time I can recall seeing dad cry as he recounted the impact his father's death had on his mother. Although Mum swore he had shed a tear when the cat passed away many years prior. In honour of all those that served and serve and thank you Scott for that very moving story.
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Our final contributor is Conrad and he writes, you might be interested in my wife's Great uncle Mickey Fenton. He played for Middlesbrough and England during the war. He served in the forces and played football with some true greats. I've attached a photo of Scotland's Bill Shankly and England's Mickey Fenton challenging for the ball at Wembley in 1938. Both would end up playing for the RAF team during the war. The RAF had some outstanding footballers at their disposal. My wife's great uncle Mick roomed with Shankly wherever the RAF team toured. Shankly eventually became the legendary Liverpool manager. Mick played a lot of football during the war in order to entertain the troops and civilians back home. However, Mick recalled touring Turkey during the war. He believed that he was playing in goodwill games in order to prevent the Turks from joining the Axis side. That's what the players were told. Perhaps a form of soft power. Fenton is a Borough legendary. He scored 162 goals in 269 appearances either side of the war and received one England cap. The war seemed to disrupt his professional career. In retirement he ran a newsagent in Stockton on Tees and passed away in 2003 aged 89. My father in law conducted a reading at his funeral and the service received coverage from local TV stations. Other well known Middlesbrough players of the era served in the Armed Forces Centre Half George Hardwick played with Fenton at Borough as well as in the RAF team. Borough's other star striker, Wilf Mannion was in the army and served in the Green Howards, Middlesbrough. The town was briefly in mourning as the local press incorrectly announced Mannion had died at Dunkirk when he had in fact been evacuated. He also went on to serve under England cricketer Headley Verity as his company runner. It's believed the death of Verity deeply impacted him. My mother in law recalled Uncle Mick as being a very quiet man and not a big drinker. He'd only ever have one glass of sherry on a night out. His legacy still lives on. My brother in law has signed framed photographs of Mick and his playing days as well as his England cap. There is also a large function room named in his honor at the Riverside Stadium. Well, thank you Conrad for that fascinating
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story and if you have a family story that you'd like to share with us, please email we havewaysolehanger.com and don't forget to title it Family Story so that we don't miss it. A huge thank you to Will, Alfie, Tim, Scott and Conrad for sharing these fascinating stories with us. Thanks for listening. Cheerio.
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Cheerio. Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile Now I was looking for fun ways to tell you that Mint's offer of unlimited Premium Wireless for $15 a month is back. So I thought it would be fun if we made $15 bills, but it turns out that's very illegal. So there goes my big idea for the commercial. Give it a try@mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment
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of $45 for three months, $90 for six months or $180 for a 12 month plan required $15 per month equivalent to taxes and fees. Extra initial plan term only greater than 50 gigabytes. Me slow when network is busy. See Terms. I'm Mary Beard. And I'm Josephine Quinn. At the Rest Is Fest this September, we're putting on a show that can only be described as an iconoclastic romp through the ancient world. We're talking about leaders behaving badly, emperors putting their horses in charge, cities built by asylum seekers, and empires getting their comeuppance. There will be some proper myth busting, but we'll also be asking why these myths matter even when we know they're wrong. So if you love your ancient history and you're free on September 6th, get your ticket now and join us at London South Bank Center. Tickets are on sale now. Just visit southbankcentre.co.uk that's southbankcentre.co.uk.