Have just got back from a trip to Europe to visit my mother! I was able to read a family tree book that she has in her possession. My maternal grandfather's family also came from Belgium and settled in London during World War One as refugees. Yes, my mum and dad are related, which is something I had a bit of trouble coming to terms with until recent times!
My grandfather on my Mum's side and my Dad's side were both Flemish! The family tree book traces their common ancestors back to one man from Bruge, now Belgium, mid 1500's, who had four children. Surreal to see photos of my ancestors staring out at me through the generations!
I am not sure how this blog is going to continue and what form it is going to take - I will think about that later. I am still jet lagged and consequently not thinking very clearly.
During my trip, I visited Spain, France and Italy and was very close to Morroco. I had time to reflect on some of the experiences my Dad mentioned about Morroco and World War II.
I was very pleased to see a monument in the harbour at Ajaccio!, Corsica, dedicated to, Resistance Fighters from WWII. I took some pictures - my dad would have liked that!!! I also visited Rome and Tuscany which included Florence and Pisa in Italy - loved that too!
I feel I should mention my maternal grandmother and her family as they also have had a great and interesting background. The family tree book describes my maternal grandmother as a "cockney" - she was brought up in London, England - all her family and remaining family were can be very Londonish!!
My maternal grandmother spent a lot of her youth round and about The British Museum and The Strand in central London. In an article in the, London, "Sunday Times", my uncle described his mother as a feisty lady - she was alive at the time and took offence to that description!!!
It is very interesting through reading the family tree to learn about ancestors from the past. It would appear that some family patterns and (dare I say, idiosyncracies) and characteristics have coincidentally!!!???? manifested themselves again and again in future generations, Surreal!!!!!!!!!!!
For new readers this blog starts at Day 1 and is the story of my dad's war experiences during World War II from a Belgian POW's perspective.
Coindidentally, I met someone yesterday, who mentioned to me that he has never come across anybody who had a family member who survived a German concentration camp experience and was not Jewish - he is 70 years old!
My grandfather on my Mum's side and my Dad's side were both Flemish! The family tree book traces their common ancestors back to one man from Bruge, now Belgium, mid 1500's, who had four children. Surreal to see photos of my ancestors staring out at me through the generations!
I am not sure how this blog is going to continue and what form it is going to take - I will think about that later. I am still jet lagged and consequently not thinking very clearly.
During my trip, I visited Spain, France and Italy and was very close to Morroco. I had time to reflect on some of the experiences my Dad mentioned about Morroco and World War II.
I was very pleased to see a monument in the harbour at Ajaccio!, Corsica, dedicated to, Resistance Fighters from WWII. I took some pictures - my dad would have liked that!!! I also visited Rome and Tuscany which included Florence and Pisa in Italy - loved that too!
I feel I should mention my maternal grandmother and her family as they also have had a great and interesting background. The family tree book describes my maternal grandmother as a "cockney" - she was brought up in London, England - all her family and remaining family were can be very Londonish!!
My maternal grandmother spent a lot of her youth round and about The British Museum and The Strand in central London. In an article in the, London, "Sunday Times", my uncle described his mother as a feisty lady - she was alive at the time and took offence to that description!!!
It is very interesting through reading the family tree to learn about ancestors from the past. It would appear that some family patterns and (dare I say, idiosyncracies) and characteristics have coincidentally!!!???? manifested themselves again and again in future generations, Surreal!!!!!!!!!!!
For new readers this blog starts at Day 1 and is the story of my dad's war experiences during World War II from a Belgian POW's perspective.
Coindidentally, I met someone yesterday, who mentioned to me that he has never come across anybody who had a family member who survived a German concentration camp experience and was not Jewish - he is 70 years old!
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