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Robert Gillespie 1939
Bobby Gillespie was my uncle and he served all through WW11, he was an ambulance driver and I think I'm right in saying that he was among the British troops who liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany in April 1945. Driving an ambulance into that terrible place must have been like a living nightmare.
Bobby and his co-driver took turns at driving and I was told by my dad that one day when the other driver jumped down to take his turn he stood on a mine and was killed. Bobby never mentioned the war much.
He married Kathleen Munro from Rousay.
Sadly he did not live to an old age and died aged 60 in 1978 and Kathleen aged 71 in 1993.
Picture added on 19 February 2010 at 14:14
Hoy and Walls
They also went taegither tae the Legion Club tae spend hid!!
Mither said if Bob got a bit too much, he wid braak doon aboot the things he had hin tae deal wae in the war.
Remember these men got no help efter they came home, they were jist expectid tae git on wae their lives, no like today, if a Bobby his a bad experence he might be aff work furr a month!!.
Bob was a good freend tae us, we remember him wae respect and pride.
P.S When Bob and Kath were in Rousay the Head teacher said to Bob you saved my life in the war. Bob did not even remember him but the man remembered Bob!.