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Sidney Walter GRADIDGE 

454 RAAF Squadron

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Sid Gradidge 4 (RAF uniform).jpg
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Service No: 929282 (RAF)

Date of Birth: 1913

Place of Birth: Romsey, Hampshire, England

Date of Enlistment: TBC

Date of Discharge: TBC

Rank: TBC

Date of Death: Nov 1993

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Below is a collection of photographs provided by Chris Humby (Nephew). The photos were taken during his service with the 454 Squadron. 

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Tips:

  • Use the scroll icons on either side of the picture collage to review the entire collection

  • Click on any picture to enlarge

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British Legion Award with Lawrie McMenemy & Kevin Keegan
British Legion Letter
Egypt 1
Egypt 105
Egypt 106
Egypt 108
Egypt 35
Egypt 40
Egypt 49
Egypt 50
Egypt 54
Egypt 55
Egypt 59
Egypt 61
Egypt 62
Egypt 63
Egypt 64
Egypt 70
Egypt 71
Egypt 72
Egypt 73
Egypt 74
Egypt 78
Egypt 80
Egypt 81
Egypt 82
Egypt 93
Egypt 94
Egypt Alexandria 111
Egypt Alexandria 112
Egypt Alexandria Antoniades Garden
Egypt Alexandria Corniche 1
Egypt Alexandria Corniche 2
Egypt Alexandria Fleet Club
Egypt Alexandria French Garden
Egypt Alexandria Glymenopoulos Beach
Egypt Alexandria Greek Shop Bar
Egypt Alexandria Ismail Pasha Monument 1
Egypt Alexandria Ismail Pasha Monument 2
Egypt Alexandria Ismail Pasha Monument 3
Egypt Alexandria Ismail Pasha Monument 4
Egypt Alexandria Mahmoudia Canal
Egypt Alexandria Mohamed Aly Square
Egypt Alexandria Nozha Garden
Egypt Alexandria Pompew Pillar
Egypt Alexandria Ras El-Tin Palace
Egypt Alexandria Saad Zaghloul Boulevard
Egypt Alexandria Sidi Bishr Beach
Egypt Alexandria Stanley Bay
Egypt Alexandria Zaghloul Pasha Monument
Egypt Alexandria Zaghloul Pasha Square
Egypt Alexandria
Egypt Cairo 1
Egypt Cairo 2
Egypt Cairo 3
Egypt Cairo 4
Egypt Cairo 5
Egypt Cairo Central railway station
Egypt Cairo Muhamed Ali Mosque 1
Egypt Cairo Muhamed Ali Mosque 2
Egypt Cairo Sphinx
Israel 1
Israel 10
Israel 11
Israel 12
Israel 13
Israel 14
Israel 2
Israel 3
Israel 4
Israel 5
Israel 6
Israel 7
Israel 8
Israel 9
Jerusalem 1
Jerusalem 10
Jerusalem 11
Jerusalem 12
Jerusalem 13
Jerusalem 14
Jerusalem 15
Jerusalem 16
Jerusalem 17
Jerusalem 18
Jerusalem 19
Jerusalem 2
Jerusalem 20
Jerusalem 3
Jerusalem 4
Jerusalem 5
Jerusalem 6
Jerusalem 7
Jerusalem 8
Jerusalem 9
Libya 1
Libya 10
Libya 11
Libya 12
Libya 13
Libya 2
Libya 3
Libya 4
Libya 5
Libya 6
Libya 7
Libya 8
Libya 9
RAAF 1
RAAF 2
RAAF 3
RAAF 4
RAAF 5
RAAF 6
RAAF 7
RAAF 8
RAAF 9
RAAF 10
RAAF 11
RAAF 12
RAAF 13
RAAF 14
RAAF 15
RAAF 16
RAAF 17
RAAF 18
RAAF 19
RAAF 20
RAAF 21
RAAF 22
RAAF 23
RAAF 24
RAAF 25
RAAF 26
RAAF 27
RAAF 28
RAAF 29
RAAF 30
RAAF 31
RAAF 32
RAAF 33
RAAF 34
RAAF 35
RAAF 36
RAAF 37
RAAF 38
RAAF 39
RAAF 40
RAAF 41
Services Card 1
Services Card 2
Sid & Doll 2
Sid & Doll Gradidge
Sid & Doll Wedding
Sid & Doll Wedding 2
Sid Gradidge 3
Sid Gradidge 5
Sid Gradidge Family
Sid Gradidge RAAF North Africa WW II

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Below is a tribute written by Chris Humby (Nephew)

Sid was the youngest of three brothers and three sisters. He was born in 1913 into a working class family in Romsey, Hampshire, England. Romsey is an ancient market town, which was surrounded by farming and large country estates. The main industry was brewing and Strong and Co. had operated a large brewery in the town. Sid’s father was a drayman for the local brewery, and in 1916 when Sid was only three years old, his father died whilst making a delivery to The George Inn at Fordingbridge in the New Forest, when he was accidently run over by his dray cart. His mother died in 1927 when he was fourteen years old. He, and his other siblings were then raised by their eldest brother and eldest sister. Even into old age the family would squabble about childhood rivalry and who played for the best football team in their youth, but were fiercely protective of each other to any outsider.

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Sid started work as a shop boy in a large grocery shop in Romsey, probably soon after his mother had died. He married his wife Somme (Doll) in Romsey in the summer of 1939. I do not believe that they had long together before he joined the R.A.F., but do not have any information about his service record. He was posted to North Africa and seconded to 454 Squadron of the R.A.A.F. These pictures are from two photograph albums he kept as a memento of his service. Like many men, Sid never spoke openly about his experiences during WWII. I believe that he was part of the support staff aligned with procurement and provisions. He was also an enthusiastic, but not overly talented artist, as two of his cards to my mother from North Africa during his R.A.A.F. service illustrate.

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After the war, Sid returned to Romsey and re-joined the grocery company he had worked for previously. He was then assigned to a more senior position at a store in another town, before returning to Romsey as Store Manager, which came with palatial accommodation above the shop. As a market town, surrounded by large country estates, Sid was used to dealing with members of nobility. One story, I fondly remember him telling me, was of titled Lady who entered his large grocery store and demanded to speak to him personally. She explained that she was hosting a party and wanted to line the trees on the drive with fairy lights to welcome her guests. The event would take place in a few days. Not one to miss an opportunity, Sid showed her some jars of honey. She exclaimed that they were perfect and ordered 100 jars and one hundred tealight candles. She requested that the jars be cleared of honey and washed, so her servants could arrange them on the drive. Sid humbly explained that he would need to charge her for the honey, so what would she like done with it. Her reply was an instant “I don’t give a damn, I don’t want it, do with it what you want”. Oh, how I wish he had told me what happened next, but the Lady got her jars for the party.

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Sid and his wife Doll never had children. Eventually the large grocers in Romsey was sold and they set up a small general store on an estate on the outskirts of Romsey for a few years. They retired and lived in sheltered accommodation, not far from Romsey Abbey. Sid was a very affable, hospitable and entertaining character who enjoyed meeting and making friends with people from all walks of life. He was also active with the Royal British Legion, helping to raise money for ex-servicemen.

I remember visiting him, with my wife, after his wife Doll had passed away, and he was having a cup of tea with a lady and chatting over old times. Eventually his visitor said, “I must be going Sid, things to do”. After she had left Sid said to us, I never really introduced you properly, that lady was a Duchess, with a large estate in Norfolk. Doll and I would normally visit and stay with her for a few days every summer.

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Sid was always bemused that his pension from the R.A.A.F. was more than his pension from the R.A.F. He was man of whom I have very fond memories. He died in 1993.

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