{"id":37424,"date":"2024-10-18T01:43:28","date_gmt":"2024-10-18T05:43:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/dads-ww2-fork-found-84-years-after-last-meal\/18\/10\/2024\/"},"modified":"2024-10-18T01:43:28","modified_gmt":"2024-10-18T05:43:28","slug":"dads-ww2-fork-found-84-years-after-last-meal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/dads-ww2-fork-found-84-years-after-last-meal\/18\/10\/2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Dad&#8217;s WW2 fork found 84 years after last meal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><strong>David Balfour was stunned after a fork belonging to his soldier father Robert, who was reported missing in action in 1940, was found hidden in a house in northern France.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I can imagine my father eating his rations,&#8221; says David Balfour, holding a fork that has become a treasured family heirloom.<\/p>\n<p>Close to tears, the 84-year-old, who is standing in front of Hull&#8217;s memorial to the war dead, adds: &#8220;It&#8217;s the only thing of my father&#8217;s that I have \u2013 apart from his Army Bible.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Stamped on the fork, which belonged to Pte Robert Balfour, are the letters BW and 4095.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;BW is for the Black Watch, which was my father&#8217;s Army unit,&#8221; he explains, running a finger along the tarnished metal. &#8220;And here is his Army service number.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\" style=\"max-height: 540px\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox caas-img-loader\" style=\"padding-bottom:56%\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/e4co5mOBSHNBHuYI00T.eQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDA7aD0xMzUw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/d7e1465bc756edcf5c538430d2972b02\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Private Robert Balfour, a dark-haired man, with his wife Doris, who also has dark hair. He is wearing a Scottish soldier's ceremonial uniform, including a kilt. She is wearing a long, white wedding dress, with veil, and is carrying a bouquet of flowers. They are arm in arm. \" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/kePDk4e3bAAV_hioAhCRTQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/d7e1465bc756edcf5c538430d2972b02\" class=\"caas-img\"\/><button class=\"link caas-lightbox\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;elm:expand;itc:1\"><span class=\"openArrows icon\"><svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\"><path d=\"M12.372 0.92C12.372 0.414 12.782 0.004 13.287 0.004L21 0L20.996 7.712C20.996 8.217 20.586 8.628 20.08 8.628C19.574 8.628 19.164 8.217 19.164 7.712V3.183L12.337 10.011L10.988 8.663L17.816 1.835H13.287C12.782 1.835 12.372 1.425 12.372 0.92ZM1.835 17.816L8.663 10.988L10.012 12.337L3.183 19.164H7.712C8.218 19.164 8.627 19.574 8.627 20.08C8.627 20.586 8.218 20.995 7.712 20.995L0 21L0.004 13.287C0.004 12.782 0.414 12.372 0.92 12.372C1.425 12.372 1.835 12.782 1.835 13.287V17.816Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\">Robert Balfour with his wife Doris on their wedding day in 1938 [David Balfour]<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>In June 1940, during the opening salvos of World War Two, Pte Balfour was part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) fighting in France and Belgium.<\/p>\n<p>Following the German advance, the BEF itself found in retreat, leading to a mass evacuation of hundreds of thousands of troops from the beaches around Dunkirk, and later from Normandy.<\/p>\n<p>Little is known about Fife-born Pte Balfour&#8217;s fate; his wife Doris was told he was missing in action. She would wait a year before learning, officially, that he was believed to have been killed on or around 12 June.<\/p>\n<p>His body was never found.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\" style=\"max-height: 540px\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox caas-img-loader\" style=\"padding-bottom:56%\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/EKx2BcHSegGRAk88WhKQBQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDA7aD0xMzUw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/d62090d3307ad8198db3a2de96b35229\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview\" alt=\"A silver-coloured fork in a brown wooden presentation box with gold-coloured hinges. It rests on David Balfour's knees.\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/pwXvHnxdFChw2KtNessn9w--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/d62090d3307ad8198db3a2de96b35229\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A silver-coloured fork in a brown wooden presentation box with gold-coloured hinges. It rests on David Balfour's knees.\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/pwXvHnxdFChw2KtNessn9w--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/d62090d3307ad8198db3a2de96b35229\" class=\"caas-img\"\/><button class=\"link caas-lightbox\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;elm:expand;itc:1\"><span class=\"openArrows icon\"><svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\"><path d=\"M12.372 0.92C12.372 0.414 12.782 0.004 13.287 0.004L21 0L20.996 7.712C20.996 8.217 20.586 8.628 20.08 8.628C19.574 8.628 19.164 8.217 19.164 7.712V3.183L12.337 10.011L10.988 8.663L17.816 1.835H13.287C12.782 1.835 12.372 1.425 12.372 0.92ZM1.835 17.816L8.663 10.988L10.012 12.337L3.183 19.164H7.712C8.218 19.164 8.627 19.574 8.627 20.08C8.627 20.586 8.218 20.995 7.712 20.995L0 21L0.004 13.287C0.004 12.782 0.414 12.372 0.92 12.372C1.425 12.372 1.835 12.782 1.835 13.287V17.816Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\">The fork is engraved with Pte Balfour&#8217;s regiment and Army number [Kevin Shoesmith\/BBC]<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Earlier this year, a fork was discovered in the village of Houdetot during a house renovation.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a traditional, Norman house,&#8221; says Mr Balfour, who was born days after his father was lost.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;During the work, three forks were found within the foundations. Two of the forks had &#8216;BW&#8217; and numbers stamped on them.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The homeowner didn&#8217;t know who they belonged to, so contacted a local writer and historian called Herve Savary.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Recognising the forks to be British Army-issue, Mr Savary made inquiries that took him to Kent, where Pte Balfour and his family lived before the war. He was then able to trace the family.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I was absolutely amazed when I had a call to say, after all these years, here was his fork,&#8221; says Mr Balfour.<\/p>\n<p>In July, Mr Balfour was invited to Houdetot, where he was formally presented with the fork in a presentation box fashioned from a whisky case \u2013 a nod to the soldier&#8217;s Scottish roots.<\/p>\n<p>He was also given a jar containing soil from the village.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Five members of the family went over there to collect the fork,&#8221; says Mr Balfour. &#8220;We were shown the house where the fork was found. It was very emotional. Very moving.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The French people were very welcoming and appreciated what my father had done.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\" style=\"max-height: 768px\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox caas-img-loader portrait\" style=\"padding-bottom:100%\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/iCkX5xE5TQniyrhlT4vVqA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTE1MzY7aD0xNTM2\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/9155aea986a0693d77a83e6c17b2a507\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview\" alt=\"Mr Balfour, wearing a blue suit and facing away from the camera, looks down at a box as a smartly-dressed man wearing a blue suit and medals, speaks into a microphone. To the right, another man wears a poppy and a sash in the colours of the French tricolour flag.\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/3k4NfjONBbf7q9c4jsb.Yg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTk2MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/9155aea986a0693d77a83e6c17b2a507\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Mr Balfour, wearing a blue suit and facing away from the camera, looks down at a box as a smartly-dressed man wearing a blue suit and medals, speaks into a microphone. To the right, another man wears a poppy and a sash in the colours of the French tricolour flag.\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/3k4NfjONBbf7q9c4jsb.Yg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTk2MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/9155aea986a0693d77a83e6c17b2a507\" class=\"caas-img\"\/><button class=\"link caas-lightbox\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;elm:expand;itc:1\"><span class=\"openArrows icon\"><svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\"><path d=\"M12.372 0.92C12.372 0.414 12.782 0.004 13.287 0.004L21 0L20.996 7.712C20.996 8.217 20.586 8.628 20.08 8.628C19.574 8.628 19.164 8.217 19.164 7.712V3.183L12.337 10.011L10.988 8.663L17.816 1.835H13.287C12.782 1.835 12.372 1.425 12.372 0.92ZM1.835 17.816L8.663 10.988L10.012 12.337L3.183 19.164H7.712C8.218 19.164 8.627 19.574 8.627 20.08C8.627 20.586 8.218 20.995 7.712 20.995L0 21L0.004 13.287C0.004 12.782 0.414 12.372 0.92 12.372C1.425 12.372 1.835 12.782 1.835 13.287V17.816Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\">Mr Balfour, facing away from the camera, is presented with his father&#8217;s fork during a ceremony in Houdetot [David Balfour]<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Mr Balfour has &#8220;no idea&#8221; why the cutlery was found seemingly hidden inside the property.<\/p>\n<p>According to Mr Savary&#8217;s research, the owner of the other stamped fork was a soldier called Collins. His family has not been traced.<\/p>\n<p>Mr Balfour reaches into a satchel and retrieves a stack of black and white photographs.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s him,&#8221; he says. &#8220;That&#8217;s my mother and father on their wedding day. She was 18. He was 25.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He was in the Army when they married. He&#8217;d then left the Army but was called back at the start of the war because he was a reservist. He was sent to France with the 51st (Highland) Division.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>According to Mr Balfour&#8217;s own research, and a version of events given to his mother at the time, his father and others had been heading to the port of Le Havre to be evacuated.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He never made it,&#8221; he says. &#8220;They were trapped [by German forces].&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\" style=\"max-height: 716px\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox caas-img-loader portrait\" style=\"padding-bottom:100%\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/0HMs8E528kabgllbtqbZpA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTE0MzI7aD0xNDMy\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/f1510d13977270e5a9bab22dc8ac94c7\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview\" alt=\"David Balfour with his mother Doris in 1957. Both are smiling and wearing white shirts. He is wearing sunglass and has his arm around his mother. The sea can be seen in the background.\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/x0JkDw2gHS4huoUJUgJ2zA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTk2MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/f1510d13977270e5a9bab22dc8ac94c7\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"David Balfour with his mother Doris in 1957. Both are smiling and wearing white shirts. He is wearing sunglass and has his arm around his mother. The sea can be seen in the background.\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/x0JkDw2gHS4huoUJUgJ2zA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTk2MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/f1510d13977270e5a9bab22dc8ac94c7\" class=\"caas-img\"\/><button class=\"link caas-lightbox\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;elm:expand;itc:1\"><span class=\"openArrows icon\"><svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\"><path d=\"M12.372 0.92C12.372 0.414 12.782 0.004 13.287 0.004L21 0L20.996 7.712C20.996 8.217 20.586 8.628 20.08 8.628C19.574 8.628 19.164 8.217 19.164 7.712V3.183L12.337 10.011L10.988 8.663L17.816 1.835H13.287C12.782 1.835 12.372 1.425 12.372 0.92ZM1.835 17.816L8.663 10.988L10.012 12.337L3.183 19.164H7.712C8.218 19.164 8.627 19.574 8.627 20.08C8.627 20.586 8.218 20.995 7.712 20.995L0 21L0.004 13.287C0.004 12.782 0.414 12.372 0.92 12.372C1.425 12.372 1.835 12.782 1.835 13.287V17.816Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\">Mr Balfour with his mother Doris in Dunkirk in 1957 [David Balfour]<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Pte Balfour is one of 4,528 soldiers who died in the campaign and have no known grave. They are remembered at the Dunkirk Memorial.<\/p>\n<p>Mr Balfour brings out more photographs, along with his parents&#8217; wedding certificate, completing the picture of a devoted family man whose life was cut short by war.<\/p>\n<p>A final picture shows Mr Balfour as a 17-year-old, his arm around his mother.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;When I hold this fork and look at the pictures, I think of what my father missed out on,&#8221; he says, placing the fork back in its box.<\/p>\n<p>Codenamed Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of Dunkirk took place between 26 May and 4 June 1940.<\/p>\n<p>A flotilla of 900 naval and civilian craft was sent across the Channel under the protection of the Royal Air Force.<\/p>\n<p>Together, they rescued 338,226 people, despite resistance from the German air force.<\/p>\n<p>Later in June, evacuations were staged in Normandy and western France, when about 220,000 Allied troops were rescued.<\/p>\n<p><em>Listen to highlights from<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/programmes\/p0cghg97\/clips?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds<\/a><em>, watch the <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/programmes\/b007tp3n?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:latest episode of Look North;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">latest episode of Look North<\/a> <em>or tell us about a story you think we should be covering<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/mailto:eastyorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>More on this story<\/h2>\n<p><img alt=\"\" height=\"1\" width=\"1\" style=\"display:block\" class=\"lazyload\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=75&resize=75 75w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=100&resize=100 100w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=150&resize=150 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=240&resize=240 240w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=320&resize=320 320w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=500&resize=500 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=640&resize=640 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=800&resize=800 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=1024&resize=1024 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=1280&resize=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=1600&resize=1600 1600w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/\"\/><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/dads-ww2-fork-found-84-052004375.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>David Balfour was stunned after a fork belonging to his soldier father Robert, who was reported missing in action in 1940, was<br \/><button class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/dads-ww2-fork-found-84-years-after-last-meal\/18\/10\/2024\/\">Read More &rsaquo;<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37426,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37424"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37424"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37424\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}