- Contributed by
- Chris Reaney
- People in story:
- Thomas Reaney
- Location of story:
- South Coast
- Background to story:
- Civilian
- Article ID:
- A2718812
- Contributed on:
- 07 June 2004
My late father Thomas Reaney (1913-1973) of Sheffield was in the building trade and worked a lot with concrete. Although he was passed A1 for military service he was seconded for 'essential war work'. This work was helping to build the Mulberry Harbour ready for D-Day.
Whilst he was working on the South Coast he caught shingles and returned to Sheffield. In his absence the boarding-house he was billeted in received a direct hit and everyone else was killed. So he really was saved by catching shingles!
He met Mum quite a while after the War, and I came along a little later. He died only aged 60 in 1973 of lung problems caused by a lifetime working in stonedust.
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