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‘War brought us together’

by Paul Thompson
5/11/2008

REMEMBRANCE day has extra meaning for one Glossop couple – they are both British Legion veterans and met each other in the forces.

Tim Webb, 89, donned his uniform to walk down a church aisle with Nancy, 85, as WWII came to an end.

Tim joined the Territorial Army in 1939.

He said: "You could see the war coming. It seemed like a good idea to know something about the army. I joined up because you got paid 30 bob a week, that was better pay than some jobs."

Tim was a Manchester Regiment infantry private at Dunkirk before becoming an officer cadet in the training corps and an artillery man.

Nancy said: "He was a lieutenant when I met him, a captain when I married him, and a major with an MBE when he was demobbed."

Speaking about his memories of WWII, Tom said: "I was sent to France in 1940, and evacuated from Dunkirk . It was chaos. As I recall it, nobody knew what was happening. I don’t know if I was scared. I was with a very small number of people I knew. We stuck together. Everybody was disorientated – you can’t imagine. But I had lots of good friends."

Also a soldier, Nancy’s skill was operating a kinetheodolite – an instrument for tracking airborne objects.

"We helped to train anti-aircraft gunners," she said. "We worked out if their shots were any good. We went to practice camps and that’s how I met Tim. It was an artillery practice camp in Clacton-on-Sea."

After a whirlwind courtship the couple were engaged and married during their first long leave. Tim said: "When the war was over, that was it. You just got on with civilian life."

They returned to Glossop to live with Tim’s mother. Tim did a business course and went into sales. Nancy ‘became mum’ – they had three daughters, followed by four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Speaking of Remembrance Day, Tim said: "It’s to show respect to those who gave their lives. But in a sense I am lucky. I don’t recall anybody dying. There must be some people who had dozens of people killed around them."

Tim’s father died in a torpedo attack at the end of WW1.

On Remembrance Sunday the couple will wear their medals with pride at Glossop Cenotaph.

Tim’s real name is Tom. His first commanding officer gave him the nickname Tim because he already had too many Toms in his charge and it has stuck ever since.