The first members of my immediate family to move to the USA were Edward Harry Tidridge (1884-1971) who later married Ellen Connor, (1883-1971) and his sister, Annie Louisa (Sis) Tidridge (1887-1949) who married Harold King (1887-1959). Edward and Sis were my uncle and aunt. I never saw either of them. Over the years my Dad would pass on bits of information but they were "in the States".

During W.W. II one of cousins came over from America, a soldier, and I believe it was George King, Sis's son.. It was a short visit.

I only met one other American soldier, this was a man who was a friend of another cousin..and who we believe was lost at Normandy. He managed to get an Eisenhower jacket for me.

As a young man, and even up until the late fifties I grew up with the not unusual English assumption that the "yanks were all talk".

Of course American movies did not improve that impression because you never ever saw a soldier of another nationality...but, most English movies... Hmm! But I sure liked John Wayne!! And Johnny Cash...but I digress!!

I must add that my admiration did not increase while serving during the Suez Crises in 1957 when we learned that the Americans did not support the action and that their Mediterranean fleet would... well you get the picture!!

I must have been an old married man of (say) twenty five or twenty six before I read some of Sir Winston Churchill's books...I felt shame as I read of the help provided by the Americans...President Roosevelt taking some real political risks to aid the 'Brits'.

Now to the future...I have met, through correspondence, both written and electronic, more of my relative than I ever knew before...and, without exception, they are friendly...could pass for Canadian (yes, that's me!!) but their spelling has to be learned!! They are concerned about their families, the economy, taxes, employment, their leaders...like us!

So as we approach Remembrance Day when we pay tribute to those who gave their all I would like to say:

 

 Pictures of Pearl Harbour allegedly taken with a Brownie camera at the time of the horrific raid can be seen below. The camera had remained undiscovered until recently in a foot locker. And, I have included the British Titheridge/Tidridge/Titheradge Roll of Honour, click here

The photos were sent to John Tidridge by his friend Norm Dyer, and are used with permission, and were taken by a sailor on the USS QUAPAW ATF-110.