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Surgeon Lt John Fisher

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posted on 2024-06-05, 19:20 authored by Their Finest Hour Project Team

Grandfather was a doctor and moved down to Luton where he had his own practice. He had models of bi-planes and he used to stay in that bedroom and I would pick things up and he would talk about them.

Major Bailey was on my Dad's side - he served in the desert and did Belsen. John Fisher was a Surgeon Lieutenant and was on my mother's side - he was on board a torpedo boat. I've visited the D-Day beaches several times and took my brother to Arromanche.

Dad took us when we were younger and told me that my Grandfather had served. John Fisher was a doctor and volunteered to join the Royal Navy for the D-Day landings in 1944; he was married to a woman nine years older than him. Born about 1923/4 and died about 1991 after a series of strokes.

He did a painting of the ship he served on board (pictured), HMS Anthony, and developed a love of painting and was fascinated by ships. His wife was a nurse and midwife. Major George Denis Bailey born 1902, died 1989 approx. There was a big family business and he was sucked into the business and he went to manage a factory in Stockport. He was up for it and saw action in Europe, and possibly under Montgomery in the desert.

He was involved in the liberation of Belsen, but I don't have his memories of that; he wouldn't talk abut it to his son (Duncan's father). He was very strict and a more strident nationalist, was very military looking with the moustache. They lived in a cottage in a village in Hampshire and the village kids used to take the mickey. Mum and Dad left the house on a couple of occasions due to the way he spoke to us and treated us, he was fearsome.

History

Item list and details

Photographs

Person the story/items relate to

Surgeon Lieutenant John Fisher, Major George Denis Bailey (went by Denis)

Person who shared the story/items

Duncan Bailey

Relationship between the subject of the story and its contributor

Grandfathers

Type of submission

Shared at Millennium Hall, Leicestershire on 17 September 2023. The event was organised by the Burbage branch of the Royal British Legion.

Record ID

106850 | BUR015