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A26 u.s. news
Dialuna 19 September 2022

Queens death is reminder of disappearing WWII generation

director general of the Royal notte, who ferried downed
British Legion, the nation’s Allied pilots across the
largest armed services charity. French border as they made
their way home. And Har-
“The queen was a personifi- ry Billinge, who was just
cation of that generation … 18 when he joined the first
and with her passing, it just wave of troops to land on
drives home the sense that Gold Beach in Normandy
time is moving relentlessly, as on D-Day, as well as Doug-
it does.” las Newham, who survived
60 bombing raids as a Royal
That loss is, perhaps, felt Air Force navigator, but was
more widely in the United haunted by those who didn’t
Kingdom than a country like return.
the United States, because
the U.K.’s very existence was It was a time of shared sac-
threatened during the war. rifice. Then Princess Eliza-
Bombs fell on cities from beth, like many teenagers,
London to Belfast, women had to persuade her father to
were conscripted into war let her join the army in 1945.
work and wartime rationing
didn’t end until 1954. When Elizabeth turned 18,
King George VI exempted
Elizabeth, who famously her from mandatory mili-
saved ration coupons to make tary service because he said
her wedding dress in 1947, her training as the heir to the
led a ceremony of remem- throne took precedence over
brance for all the nation’s the wartime need for man-
fallen service personnel each power.
year on the anniversary of the
end of World War I. But the princess, who began
her war work at the age of 14
“She is the epitome of that with a broadcast to displaced
sense of service and stoic children and later tended a
contribution,″ Byrne said. vegetable garden as part of
“And that is treasured more the government’s “Dig for
than ever.” Victory” program, got her
way.
British authorities don’t
know exactly how many She enlisted in the Auxiliary
World War II veterans are left Territorial Service in Febru-
because the nation’s census ary 1945 and trained to be-
takers didn’t track military come a military truck driver
service until last year. Those and mechanic. The ATS was
figures are due to be released the largest of the auxiliary
next month. services deploying women
to non-combat rolls such as
The Royal Air Force says it clerks, drivers and dispatch
knows of only one surviv- riders to free up men for
ing Battle of Britain pilot, front line duties.
(AP) - The long good-bye The queen, who served as a But like the queen, even the the men Winston Churchill
for Queen Elizabeth II is mechanic and truck driver in youngest veterans of the war immortalized as “the few” The first female member of
a reminder of a broader the last months of the war, are now nearing their 100th who helped turn the tide of the royal family to serve in
truth playing out with was a tangible link to the sail- birthdays, and a steady stream the war. Group Captain John the armed forces, Elizabeth
little fanfare across Brit- ors, soldiers, airmen, marines of obituaries tells the story of Hemingway celebrated his was promoted to honor-
ain: The nation is bidding and others who signed up to a disappearing generation. 103rd birthday in July. ary junior commander, the
farewell to the men and do their bit in a conflict that equivalent of an army cap-
women who fought the killed 384,000 service per- “It’s extraordinary how that But the number of survivors tain, after completing five
country’s battles during sonnel and 70,000 British ci- sense of the passing of time is dwindling. months of training. But the
World War II. vilians. is felt very keenly at the mo- war ended before she could
ment,″ said Charles Byrne, Among those who died this be assigned to active duty.
year were Henriette Ha-

Man, 70, dies in fall at Alabama

waterfall park

(AP) — Authorities in from a ledge at High Falls High Falls Park is located in
northeastern Alabama Park in Grove Oak on Sat- DeKalb County near Gun-
say a 70-year-old man fell urday afternoon. He fell an tersville Lake, roughly 35
to his death this weekend estimated 40 to 60 feet (12 miles (55 kilometers) south-
at a waterfall park. to 18 meters). east of Huntsville. The park
is known for its waterfall, a
The man’s name hasn’t been Rescue crews worked for swimming area and hiking
released. DeKalb County hours to retrieve the body trails.
Coroner Tom Wilson told from the water.
AL.com that the man fell