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miked

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Posts posted by miked

  8. Posted

    On 10/24/2008 at 19:47, DaveH said:

     

    Both my own grandfather and my wifes grandfather were in the Sheffield ARP during the war. Having been born in the first years of the 20th. century they were in a generation which was just too young for the First World War and just too old for the Second. however, still wanting to do their bit they joined the ARP which must have consisted largely of older volunteers who were too old or not fit enough for regular military service.

     

    My wife's grandfather served in the Darnall / Attercliffe area and a collection of his ARP stuff and momentoes (the sort of things you are looking for) were loaned or donated to the Sheffield Blitz Museum which existed for a short time in the 1980's on the top floor of what used to be Banners department store at Attercliffe. When this museum closed around 1990 (I think the building was due to be demolished) the museum went with it, and so did grandads stuff!

     

    So further to the original appeal, does anyone know what happened to this museum and where their nice displays went?

     

  9. Posted

    On 12/17/2010 at 19:49, History dude said:

    My grandfather William Benton was an ARP ambulance driver during the Sheffield Blitz, he didn't come home for 3 days! My grandmother thought he was a gonna!! When he did come home, she was making the meal for the famiy, when he came through the back door of their house on the Manor. Her first words to him were "Where the bloody hell have you been? " His reply "Not on holiday!" He was covered with ash and black from head to foot. And he smelt of fire.

     

    One experiance he recalled to the family was that he had attended the Marples Hotel, which was known for it's bar. So grandmother thought that he had been drinking there. "No rescuing people it's had a direct hit!" When he arrived at the scene, the crew had to wait to go in, on the instructions of the firemen, as the building was still falling down. Outside a young boy (approx 10 years old) said that he knew his mum was in there. The lad wanted to go inside saying that his mum had gone to look for his father in the pub. William told him to wait and asked for his parents name and said to the lad that he would call out for them when searching. But the young lad would not wait and before anyone could stop him, had ran inside the building and was killed when part of the building fell on him. I assume that the mother and father were already dead.

     

    William had been in the first war and was gassed, but it didn't stop him doing what he could, he talked about the above an experiance that upset him greatly. But as shocking as it was, he never talked about his time on the front line, somethings even an old soldier doesn't want to talk about. But he wasn't one for giving up! So he had something to eat and had a bath and then went back out to help.

     

    He died in the 1970's of lung problems, caused by the gas. A late victim of WW1. To me, only young boy myself when he died, he was a grumpy old man, but now I know him a bit better and can understand why.

    Very interesting. Do you have any more information please, where was he based? My mother was a member and I am trying to piece things together

  11. Posted

    Brilliant photos, thanks.

    This pic below shows a Pye Bank group. Other pics mention Pitsmoor (will that be Pye Bank?) I searched "Ambulance"

    http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;u01662&action=zoom&pos=126&id=37002&continueUrl=

    Some stories, detail of photos, names would be interesting - before they are  lost. Do you have any artefacts? The City Museum only has a uniform and no information at all.

     

  12. Posted

    I have been trying to write up my mothers story and the story of May Mirfin, very little info on the Ambulance service.  My mother was base at Hartley Brook, Mirfin was but also had  a connection with Corporation st.  

    I wondered if I might send you the draft story to have a look at and perhaps  add something more.  I would like to use the photo if I may please, credit given Its for yet another none commercial venture, I will give it to local studies. The uniforms suggest later years of the war?

    The pic below is Corporation st. theres another copy on picturesheffield with others.

    Thanks

    mike

    DSCF5935.JPG

    ARP Southey-Shiregreen.jpg

  13. Posted

    On 4/8/2007 at 17:03, syrup said:

     

    Hi mackyD

    I noticed from your post that your nan was from Pitsmoor my mother was also from Pitsmoor and during the Blitz was an ambulance driver in the Civil Defence based in Corperation St and Pye Bank School she lived on Gray St, the attached photo could bring back memories to some people??

    symap__mum_.JPG

    Marvellous photo  can you give any more information please. My mother was also a driver.

  19. Posted

    On 9/24/2016 at 18:21, lysander said:

    The first time I went onto Mohawk Territory I was rather underwhelmed. Ordinary bungalows with a deck...some, perhaps, painted a little "brightly" and not a wigwam in sight but with their own police force, schools, health clinics, cultural centres, sports facilities, libraries, enterprise centre and an airport. The sale of cheap, tax free, cigarettes and gasoline helps their economy. Of course, the Mohawks and the rest of the woodland tribes lived in settlements with cabins and the women tended crops( which further south saved the original Pilgrim Father's when they were at the point of starvation ] The sale of alcohol is still forbidden but freely available at the nearest town ( Belleville) but drugs are a real problem for many young people , as are opportunities.

    Wortley's description of Brant's brother and "dirty Indians" says it all about  19th century prejudice which, sadly, is still to be found.

    Very sad, I have seen several reports recently on tv. regarding Dakota and Winnipeg where girls frequently go missing.   At least his son Edward had a great fascination during his buffalo (slaughtering) trip of 1850 and brought back a fantastic collection of artefacts. I am trying to assess this material since up to now the collection has been largely wrongly ascribed. I remember seeing the war shirt and knife as a kid when it was displayed in the entrance to the museum.

  20. Posted

    Theres a bit about Brant in Johnsons "American Woodland Indians"

    Below is a bit from my research , a letter written by John Stuart Wortley (1824) from Boston U.S.A.  In which he “Sends some impressions to his sister Caroline”.

     

    We stopped on our way to the old colonel’s at the Grand River, sixty or seventy miles from Niagara and walked two or three miles from the road to the Mohawk village. It consisted of perhaps fifteen to twenty buildings, of wooden planks, or as they are called here clapboards (the common material in these newly cleared parts), placed at straggling distances round a considerable oblong space of common ground, towards one end of which stood their church of clapboard also. A few idle Indians, not in feathers but dresses made of European cloth and very dirty, were dawdling about and directed us to Brants house, a cottage looking  little better than the rest. We unluckily found that Joseph Brant* our visitor at Curzon Street, was absent, but another dirty slovenly roué of a brother who was there showed us into the room.

    *Strangely,  as far as I can see Brant had been dead 17 years!

  21. Posted

    1 hour ago, lysander said:

    As yet, no I haven't but I will...They are mainly small ceremonial items...rattles and so on. The Brant family are still very much in existence around Tyendinaga and Desoronto. The Mohawks are our second oldest allies...after the Portuguese and proudly display a silver tea service, given to them by Queen Anne.They do this when they re- enact the "Landings"... The time when they were expelled from their homelands by the newly founded USA....and paddled across Lake Ontario to find a new homeland... given to them by the British for their loyalty in opposing the "rebellion". In Tyendinaga they also have one of the longest established Royal Chapels...The general area, including European settlements, is known as "Loyalist County" with its own Loyalist College and the original Union Flag in great evidence.

    I think I saw Brants house when I canoed on the Grand river. He did a return visit to the Wharncliffes in London. I wrote a bit about him and understand he was a controversial figure. I went to a museum at Burlington which had stuff on him. Do you have any of the fantastic books by Michael Johnson?

  22. Posted

    21 hours ago, lysander said:

    I have a very small collection of First Nation artefacts... all given to me on trips to visit my wife's family in Canada...who just happen to be the descendants of Princess Mary (Strawberry)Moon the daughter of a Mohawk chief who was killed in the mid 1800's in a fire on the Mohawk Territory of Tyendinaga. I am an honorary member of the Turtle Clan. Given the way our Museum has failed , miserably, in my eyes to even tell the story of our City in a satisfactory way they will remain in the family after I have gone to meet the maker!:rolleyes:

    Is there a Joseph Brant connection here?  I have had a life long interest in the Wharncliffe collection and I managed to see it the other day after a period of 8 years trying. Sioux and Chippewa mainly. One of the Wharncliffes visited the (now) six nation reserve in 1828 the other did a buffalo hunting trip in 1850.

    Have you documented what you have? I would be very interested in reading it if you have.

    Thanks for message.

    mike

  23. Posted

    On 10/23/2012 at 09:33, Dianam said:

    Hi

    I found this forum today while researching a trip to Sheffield.Stanley Jepson was my Grandad, he left Sheffield in the 1950's to come to live with us in Surrey. I'm fascinated by this Native American connection, as far as I know he never went out of the country but I will see if I can find any more information.

    My apologies, I have only just seen your post, I thought the thread was dead. Did you find out any more about your grandfather? He must have donated the collection before he moved to Surrey. Do you have any correspondence, photos or any indication that he was perhaps on missionary work in Canada? Can you give me your email address and I will send you some museum pics.

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