Private George Neve

George Thomas Neve was born in Hastings on the 6th June 1917. He married Lillian Dorothea Lindridge on the 7th August 1939, and had two daughters; Janet, born on the 8th November 1941, Diana, born on the 18th December 1944, and a son, Clifford, born on the 14th April 1946. Neve was a member of the 181st Airlanding Field Ambulance, serving with No.2 Section in 1943 and No.5 Section in 1944. At Arnhem, he worked at the Schoonoord Hotel in Oosterbeek and, like most medics, remained behind with the wounded when the Division withdrew. At around this time he was wounded in the backside by shrapnel, describing that he saw a huge white flash and felt as though he had been hit from behind by a train before losing consciousness, awaking to find a German soldier offering him a cigarette. Neve rarely discussed his wartime experiences, but in later years, at his local pub, he would ask those assembled if they wanted to see his war wound; those who knew better would say no, those who did not said yes, and looked on in horror as he started to undo his trousers. Neve was sent to Stalag XIIA at Limburg, and returned home in May 1945, establishing his own window cleaning business in Hastings. Although he had no qualms about climbing a ladder, and had previously flown in a glider, Neve developed an intense fear of heights, be it from high buildings or aircraft, and refused to enter either. George Neve died on the 24th March 1969. Copyright: Lisa Lomas.

Neve reunited with his family. The baby, Diana, had been due to be born on Christmas Day 1944, but on the 17th December his wife received word that her husband had been taken prisoner. The shock sent her into labour and she gave birth on the following day. Copyright: Lisa Lomas.