I was researching family history and had discovered that my father R.M Frank Cameron, was possibly under-age when he signed-up at Inverness.
My father was born in Fort Augustus, Invernesshire and what in fact he believed were his brothers and sisters were his aunt and uncles. His “sister” was was his mother. On trying to unravel this murky family secret, I spoke with known distant relatives on the the Isle of Lewis, who produced the letter and sent it on to me.
It was clear from this conversation that my father had been sent to Berneray, Isle of Lewis and had stayed on the island in idyllic surroundings. That memory is reflected in his letter his “brother” Daniel, as he reminisces about his happy times spent there. This letter was sent from LCF 32 which had seen action at D Day, Walcheren and “other raids”.
Although he expressed his intention never to go back to Fort Augustus, had he not done so, he would not have met my mother.
Where he was when the letter was sent us not known, but LCF 32 eventually sank in port due to unrepairable shell holes following Walcheren.
Although my father mentions in his letter a photo in his ‘blue’ Marines uniform many of his artefacts and memories did not make it at all. The reason for that is simple. My father mentions that he flung his his kit – bag from the ship to his waiting mate on the quayside. But the heave of the ship meant he lost it all in harbour when it missed. His mate RM Proudfoot won the MC for action they both took at Walcheren. I think my father was rather sanguine about that, and the action is described in the book “Cinderalla Operation”.
