ALAN AND ROSE
SOLOMON IN 2002
The B&C Norfolk Section Editor was delighted to be invited to meet Alan and Rose
Solomon at their Suffolk home in Lowestoft. Alan, an astute and avid
reader of the B&C, sent photographs of C Coy, 1 Royal Norfolk, taken in Germany (on a
camera he found!) in the summer of 1945 (B&C 95 Dec 00 and 98 Jun 02).
He also identified the photograph of an Unknown 1914 Norfolk Soldier (B&C 98 Jun 02)
that Gordon K Reynolds had rescued from a local antique shop as Herbert James Roe.
Alan was 70th Bn 1940-43, 7th Bn 1943-44 and 1st Bn 1944-45.
In his civilian career, before and after WW2, Alan
worked in the Lowestoft Fish Trade, retiring as an accountant with Ross Consolidated
Fisheries.
B&C 93 Dec 99 mentioned that some of the Guard at RAF Watton were 70th Bn Royal
Norfolk soldiers before they embarked for Singapore. A Firecrew diary reported a
"short soldier" shooting down a Junkers 88 at Scoulton! This was the late James Exall whose obituary stated
that James had received a citation from the Area Commander for his deed. Alan arrived on
the scene an hour after the crash. (And see the RAF
Watton page.)Alan was in D Coy, 7 Royal Norfolk,
with Maj David Jamieson (died May 2001) on
the River Orne on 8 Aug 1944. (The Webmaster was a year old that day!)
Alan missed seeing the famous
Jamieson tank incident during the Grimbosq battle, as he was taking an injured Sgt to
the First Aid Post.
Pages 147-149 in Vol 3 of the 'History of The Royal Norfolk Regiment' refer to the 70th
Bn.
Alan attended the last 70th Bn Reunion on 17 Apr 1993 and has a copy of the 70th Bn Battle
Honours - see below.
The visit was on the eve of Alan's 80th Birthday in Jan 2002 and an opportunity to
photograph him and Rose.
Asked how he met Rose, Alan said her name was on a ration packet of margarine. They became
pen-friends and were married in Sep 1945! |
