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July 27, 2007
The Gdansk fireball
I listened, open mouthed, speechless, enthrawled as the old lady told me how she and her family escaped (or rather - some of them) escaped from Gdansk / Danzig - the Baltic port under German occupation at the time when it was bombed to a raging inferno by the allies during the second world war. I forget exactly what neighbourhood mission I was on at the time, but this old lady of Polish origin had survived, come to the UK had a full life with her husband and was now living as a widow quietly in Melksham just a few doors up from us. And she blew me completely off track that day - a blowing that I'm very gratefful for the experience.
I understand that Mrs Brindle passed away, a few days after having a stroke, last weekend. I was honoured to have known her, even "en passant". A little piece of history slips away; what were the experiences of the many become the experience of the few and then they splutter too.
Posted by gje at July 27, 2007 11:32 PM