Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan
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Wigan Album
Wigan man working in Iraq
3 Comments
USA machinery operated by Wigan man in Iraq
Photo: Keith
Photo: Keith
Views: 597
Item #: 35647
Item #: 35647
Inspired by the many recent postings of heavy industrial machinery and taking my cue from the Rugby nations allowing “foreigners” who’ve lived in the country for 3 years (now increased to 5)to represent them. I am claiming my father (like many ex-Welshmen who’ve played for Wigan), to be an honourary Wiganer. He left home in 1923 to come to Wigan, where myself and my sister were born, as was my mother. Here he is in 1946 operating a large American built machine, perhaps in Iraq or the Gaza Strip (I never took the opportunity to ask him about it) but he also spent time in India and Egypt before returning to Wigan where he played his last season in the 1947 to 1948 season for the club. He died in 2009 in Wigan, aged 93 having spent 70 years in the town, 24 of them as a pub landlord.
Comment by: J freestone on 22nd February 2025 at 08:50
Galleon grader my uncle used to drive one in ww2 airfield construction squadron
Comment by: Keith on 22nd February 2025 at 09:26
I must have been half awake when I wrote the above, my father was 8 in 1923. He came to Wigan aged 23 to play professional Rugby League is what I intended to write.
Comment by: Veronica on 22nd February 2025 at 09:28
What a lovely photo it looks as if it could have been taken recently. I’m not ‘into’ machinery but I do like seeing old soldiers wearing their berets. A lot of them wore them all the time after they were released from the Army and had their own way of wearing them. Some wore them on the back of their head and some wore them on the side! You must be very proud of your dad Keith. A lot of men never spoke about what they did in the war apart from bits now and then!
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