A Mine Sweeper's Experience

The contributor's grandfather was from Wandsworth, born in 1907. He got a scholarship to a grammar school. He was interested in flowers and supplied flowers in Covent Garden. In the late 1930s, he was a mine sweeper in the Navy. He was married and had a 5-year-old daughter. He was traumatised at the Isle of Wight due to clearing bodies after the German bombing. On D-Day, they went across the channel to sweep mines. He was very proud. For 6 weeks they were clearing at Normandy. He was missing at one point but returned later. After D-Day, they were working with Americans in the Pacific. He went on to be a builder later and worked on the Earl's Court extension. He died in 1987 and the contributor received all this information from their grandmother. Stanley's children were sent near Oxfordshire with another younger girl. The contributor's grandmother worked at [Oval Ground?] and Fulham Power Station. All men were called to war so women were working.