Fusilier (Later Captain ) Robert Day

Fusilier (Later Captain ) Robert Day was called up in April 1939 and did basic training at Wellington Barracks Bury.

He embarked for Cherbourg in France with the BEF and was soon fighting a rearguard action with the 1/8th Lancashire Fusiliers all the way back to Dunkirk.
He sustained severe almost fatal wounds from a bomb burst and was left for dead.

Fortunately,someone spotted that he was still alive and got him to the beaches and onto an evacuation ship.

Robert has no memory of this, the last thing he remembers just after the blast was hearing someone say"Leave him, he is dead "

Robert woke in a Birminham hospital and was nursed back to health, but with much of the shrapnel still embedded close to his heart which could not be removed (he often sets the alarm off when going through Tesco checkouts !)

Robert transferred to the RAOC , spending the rest of the war fighting in North Africa and Damascus.

He was highly amused when 500 Italians surrenderd to him and two mates in North Africa

After the war ,Robert took a Captains commision into the TA, with the 366 vehicle workshops Derby.

He went on to become a Director with the British National Paper group and later to own his own publishing company.

Robert is a great pal of Spike and Brian Macey, which is how I came to hear of him.

His daughter Ambie is the manager of the Yehudi Menuhin Hall.

The pic is of Spike Macey of 1LF fame and Robert .

Left to right. Robert Day, Grandaughter Camille (21) , Daughter Ambie , Grandaughter Eloise (17) and Ambie's husband