Last week I received an e-mail from a descendent of the family
" I recently stumbled across your blog on the photo concerning Hector Murdoch returning home after World War 2 and you wondered what became of the people in the photo.
I am married to John's daughter (the boy in the photograph) and can happily tell you that John is still alive and well and living here in Cumbria since about 1974 along with his wife.
My wife can't really remember her grandfather Hector as he died when she was very young but used to go in school holidays to visit her nanny Rose in Norfolk until she died when my wife was around
18 which was in 1989.
John was also five years of age in the photo and not nine as stated in the blog.
Thanks."
In my defence the information regarding John's age came from a newspaper caption. I thought at the time he looked younger than nine years old but I believed what the newspaper said. You never learn!
Sweet photo. Nice to get an update.
ReplyDeleteHector died in 1972 still living in Lambeth.
ReplyDeleteHi This photo & story moved me so much that I had to carve this scene in stone at a recent stone carving festival. The theme was peace & remembrance to mark 80 years since the end of the war. It and many others are being auctioned to raise funds for Gloucester Cathedral. It would be lovely if John is still going strong & was to know this moment has moved so many people & now been literally set in stone!
ReplyDeleteSee link below
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid021oAJoGquHUzDWgjKQeVzRy8dQgSRpGWxHfkWGPK8znJvZK7bUei5PErJ5H4tBCZdl&id=100063585488397
https://uk.givergy.com/carvingfestival2025/?controller=home
ReplyDeleteI have forwarded this information to the family Andrew. They last contact I had was in August 2019
DeleteJohn is doing well and celebrated his 85th birthday last week.
ReplyDelete