Frank Tinsley (b. UK, 1919), blinded veteran from the Second World War (WWII). "Both my grandfathers were soldiers, my father was a soldier, and I became a soldier. I was sixteen but when I joined up I said I was eighteen. My father returned from the First World War (WWI) heavily wounded and was in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. But when you are young you don't think about being wounded; you think that you will live forever. I was in charge of a searchlight unit during the...
more »Frank Tinsley (b. UK, 1919), blinded veteran from the Second World War (WWII). "Both my grandfathers were soldiers, my father was a soldier, and I became a soldier. I was sixteen but when I joined up I said I was eighteen. My father returned from the First World War (WWI) heavily wounded and was in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. But when you are young you don't think about being wounded; you think that you will live forever. I was in charge of a searchlight unit during the Blitzkrieg in 1941. We lit German planes that came to bomb London so that the anti-aircraft batteries could shoot them down. I was wounded in my eyes due to a bomb during one such air-raid. My sight worsened continuously and in 1944 one of my eyes was removed. After the war I went to a well-known eye professor in Utrecht who also treated Princess Beatrix. He operated on me but the eye was still in bad shape. In 1956, I became totally blind. My wife died some years ago. If somebody were to say to me: "Make a choice: you get your full sight back or you may see your wife for five minutes", I would choose the latter." . CHECK with MRM/FNA
« less
