Speaker for Tuesday 12th February 2013 - Chris Wilson
14/02/13 18:30
Photo: President Graham Kane meets Chris Wilson
Talk by Chris Wilson, based around ‘The U.S. War Dead Cemetery’
Club President Graham Kane welcomed members and special guest Peter FitzGerald to the meeting. The President then introduced our speaker for the morning, Chris Wilson, who entertained the members for the next 45 minutes with a wide-ranging talk and PowerPoint presentation, loosely based around the U.S. War Dead Cemetery in N.I.
Chris began his talk with a short history of undertakers in Belfast, the birth of the 'Independent Unionist Party' and how he came to be brought up by his Uncle and Aunt. The main talk and PowerPoint presentation itself, started with a press photo of the first American soldier to arrive in Belfast. This gave Chris the opportunity to tell of some of his earliest memories of life in Belfast and his recollections of the troop arrivals.
As time went by early in the war, so the some of the first troops died (at this time only by natural cause/accidents). It became apparent that there would be a need for a specific crematory for these men. Chris went on to detail the establishment of this at Lisnabenny, Castlereagh. From there we heard about how Chris and his then new wife had their first visitor on returning from honeymoon - an American undertaker who had arrived to see the Lisnabenny site. At something of a loss for entertaining their visitor, Chris had the idea that they could visit the Rosemount Crematoria before making the trip to Castlereagh. This proved highly successful, as they were able to get into the 'works' part of the newly build facility, which fascinated to visitor and started a lifelong friendship between the two families.
In 2005, the 60th anniversary of the ending of WW2, Chris undertook to get a commemorative plaque for the site of the American cemetery and arranged for a special dedication service. Chris also to the opportunity to share several amusing diversions around this time in his narrative (including on about a prostrate operation), but sadly these were not recorded in the notes.
The main character in Chris's story about his connection with the U.S. troops in Northern Ireland, was Frank Miller - the U.S. undertaker he first met. Frank's task in the American army was to track the dead soldiers during the war years in many fields of conflict. Chris and Frank became great friends, and we heard about the many visits they had paid to one another over the fifty years of their friendship, before Frank passed away. All the stories and anecdotes were full of good humour, which the members thoroughly enjoyed.
The talk concluded with a short question and answer session, also filled with good humour. Among the questions were enquiries about the number of plane crashes and the losses of American airmen around the coast of Northern Ireland.
A vote of thanks was proposed by Bob McIvor, who congratulated Chris for entertaining the members and bringing back so many memories of Belfast around the war years. The President passed on our thanks, and the members showed their appreciation.
Talk by Chris Wilson, based around ‘The U.S. War Dead Cemetery’
Club President Graham Kane welcomed members and special guest Peter FitzGerald to the meeting. The President then introduced our speaker for the morning, Chris Wilson, who entertained the members for the next 45 minutes with a wide-ranging talk and PowerPoint presentation, loosely based around the U.S. War Dead Cemetery in N.I.
Chris began his talk with a short history of undertakers in Belfast, the birth of the 'Independent Unionist Party' and how he came to be brought up by his Uncle and Aunt. The main talk and PowerPoint presentation itself, started with a press photo of the first American soldier to arrive in Belfast. This gave Chris the opportunity to tell of some of his earliest memories of life in Belfast and his recollections of the troop arrivals.
As time went by early in the war, so the some of the first troops died (at this time only by natural cause/accidents). It became apparent that there would be a need for a specific crematory for these men. Chris went on to detail the establishment of this at Lisnabenny, Castlereagh. From there we heard about how Chris and his then new wife had their first visitor on returning from honeymoon - an American undertaker who had arrived to see the Lisnabenny site. At something of a loss for entertaining their visitor, Chris had the idea that they could visit the Rosemount Crematoria before making the trip to Castlereagh. This proved highly successful, as they were able to get into the 'works' part of the newly build facility, which fascinated to visitor and started a lifelong friendship between the two families.
In 2005, the 60th anniversary of the ending of WW2, Chris undertook to get a commemorative plaque for the site of the American cemetery and arranged for a special dedication service. Chris also to the opportunity to share several amusing diversions around this time in his narrative (including on about a prostrate operation), but sadly these were not recorded in the notes.
The main character in Chris's story about his connection with the U.S. troops in Northern Ireland, was Frank Miller - the U.S. undertaker he first met. Frank's task in the American army was to track the dead soldiers during the war years in many fields of conflict. Chris and Frank became great friends, and we heard about the many visits they had paid to one another over the fifty years of their friendship, before Frank passed away. All the stories and anecdotes were full of good humour, which the members thoroughly enjoyed.
The talk concluded with a short question and answer session, also filled with good humour. Among the questions were enquiries about the number of plane crashes and the losses of American airmen around the coast of Northern Ireland.
A vote of thanks was proposed by Bob McIvor, who congratulated Chris for entertaining the members and bringing back so many memories of Belfast around the war years. The President passed on our thanks, and the members showed their appreciation.
(Secretary, Mike Turner)
