James Gerrard Fitzgerald was born in August 1922 in Edmonton, Essex. Father William and Mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Murfin.

In the 1939 register, he is living with his parents in Uxbridge, Middlesex and his occupation is 'Public Works Labourer, Heavy'. *We have him listed as wounded on the 12th June 1944 whilst serving with the 2nd Bttn KOSB - researching. **We have edited the record on UK Forces War Records as 2nd KOSB were in Far East/Burma in June 44.

A friend in later life said, "James was a small man when I knew him probably under 5ft. He went in to be a HGV driver up to 100 tons delivering bank safes and using the crane to hoist them in".

"I also remember James and Tom (his friend - researching) talking about Dunkirk*, then another story James told was coming over the top of some sand dunes and a German soldier was over the other side, they both looked at one another, the German fired but his rifle jammed, and James shot him". *However, as James has a 'General Service Corps' Service no. he may not have joined up until Feb 1942, or after. This may exclude Dunkirk service but could be action on Sword Beach.

James' medals were claimed in April 1949, sent to the family address in Hillingdon/Uxbridge, Middlesex. His last Regiment served with was listed as the 'N. Hants' (Could be the Hampshire Regiment)

In 1948. He married Lore Kunze in Bielefeld, Germany. *Bielefeld was only an hours drive from Ibbenburen where 1st KOSB spent May 1945/VE Day.

In 1953, James and Lore were living in the old *ATS Huts in Uxbridge. *Auxiliary Territorial Service was the women's branch of the British Army.

They lived in 'Hut 6' and so we did a search...

Turns out an ex-ATS called Joan Quibell wrote a diary of her time living in HUT6 during the war! She describes it as:

To the Nissen hut!

For three months Dora, Kathleen and I were occupants of the Potting Shed but then one day in late July our lazy life came to an end. The new Nissen huts were complete and we were ordered to pack our belongings to take up residence in Hut 6.

The huts were constructed of corrugated iron, dome-shaped, rather like an enlarged version of our Anderson shelter. Immediately inside the door was a small washroom to the left and on the right were two lavatories. Then you went through another door into the hut proper. Six beds lined either side of a central aisle and by each bed a locker. Under each bed a soldier's box. Above the beds, running the length of the hut, a narrow wooden shelf and right in the middle of the room there was a black cast-iron stove, with a chimney pipe that went up through the roof. This monstrosity was our only form of heating. It consumed coal or coke, was extremely dirty and smelly, but could, if in the mood, get red hot.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/62/a3303262.shtml

After the war it seems James was still a hero...

(We were intrigued by this story so worked out from census details where the house was and managed to find it on Google Maps. You can clearly see the ledge and the long drop.)

James died in Middlesex in August 1998, at the age of 74. If you have any information on this soldier, please use the contact form to get in touch. Thank you.