Dads War

My farther Thomas Charles Williamson was a member of the British Expeditionary Force into France at the begining of World War 2.
He was a member of the Royal Engineers and worked as a despatch rider.
He was one of the last to leave the beaches of Dunkirk, his motorcycle was blown up on the beach. On his return to the UK he weighed 7 stone. When I knew him he was 14 stone and stood 6 foot tall. He was one of the first members of a new regiment, The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, the REME. He did mention that the Royal Engineers were the last to leave Dunkirk as they had to blow up oil dumps.
When he returned to the UK he worked with the RAF in Shrewsbury, Shropshire where he met and married my mother. My mother was with the RAF as a Batwoman and as part of her duties, was as batwoman to Amy Johnson
they married on the 23rd April 1941, which they only realised afterwards was both St Georges Day and Shakespeares Birthday.
My mother left service at the time of my birth.
My father then went with the First Army into North Africa with the American Army. He was injured and hospitalised. He was mentioned in despatches, but for the remaining time in the Army he was UK based.

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