Here's to you, Uncle Bill

Two weeks ago we received the news that my Uncle, Bill Hyde, had passed away from natural causes at the age of 94. Uncle Bill was the unofficial leader of my Dad's side of the family, as my dad's father passed away in the early 1940s and left my grandmother, aunt, and my dad to fend for themselves.

I went to England in April of 2006 as my Aunt Joan and Uncle Bill celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, which was the last time I saw them together. I again went to the UK in May of 2007, when my Dad's sister Joan passed away.

You will note that they married in 1946. They had actually met years before, but Bill was a soldier, and in 1939 his unit was part of the British Expeditionary Force in France. He fought the German army there until May of 1940, when he and his fellow soldiers were ferried to England in the largest evacuation to date the world had ever seen, a total of 338,000 British and French troops moved over 9 days from Dunkirk to England.

Unfortunately for Bill, his war did not end there. After his unit was re-outfitted, they were sent to Singapore in southeast Asia. It was here in February of 1942 that the British command surrendered to the Japanese forces, and Bill became a prisoner of war at the infamous Changi prison. He stayed a prisoner of war until Japan surrendered in September 1945, and it was not until 1946 that he returned to England.

Bill was also a caring and thoughtful man, and I have fond memories from the late 70's and early 80's of spending summers fishing with him. At the time he smoked a pipe, so he came in handy for keeping the mosquitoes away. I remember the many Christmas seasons where we all packed into their house on Albert Rd, afraid to get up out of your seat because someone else would take it, playing games with the family, and consuming plenty of Christmas spirits.

You will be missed, Uncle Bill....