Bob Paisley

From www.bobpaisley.com about the wartime career of renowned Liverpool FC manager Bob Paisley (1919-1996); "He remained an ordinary man amid extraordinary achievements":

Bob Paisley joined the 73rd Regiment of the Royal Artillery. He served with Montgomery's Eighth Army, the so called Desert Rats at the relief of Tobruk and the watershed victory at El Alamein, as an anti tank gunner.

Whilst Bob was on active service in Italy he was given the news that his younger brother Alan had died back home at the age of fifteen from scarlet fever and diphtheria. On hearing this news, Bob wandered aimlessly away from where he had been positioned, understandably dazed and upset by what he had heard, and moments later a shell dropped and exploded right where he had been. The tragic news had ironically saved his own life.

In June 1944 he proudly rode aboard a tank as the Allies liberated Rome. It was a proud moment as the relieving forces were welcomed as heroes by the Italians. For Bob and his fighting comrades it was the beginning of the end of the war, a war that had given him an early insight into the Scouse character, for many of the men in his regiment were Merseysiders.

Hi Spike

I have read this before about Bob's wartime service. Good to see you have posted it here.

Thanks

Chris

Spike hi,
I have just posted information for Josie not realising you were the go-between apologies for not mentioning you how would I be able to get a message to Josie?. Again it is a small world. when researching my fathers army history I was directed to the BBC Archive site and there are many stories about the RA from Liverpool including one about D Day landing and moving through to Holland and Belgium. Take a look at the site it is fascinating.

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On the way to Sunderland v Liverpool last March I dropped in on Hetton le Hole, where Bob grew up, this is the memorial to him in the centre of the village.

Great to see. Thanks, SteH. Of course I am old enough to remember Bob running on to the pitch at Anfield with the "magic sponge" when he worked under Bill Shankly in the Sixties.

Chris :handclap: