Family Stories - Legends

GF Randall sinks U-Boat in Great War and wins medal

Grandfather Charles Ingall Randall was born in Alphington, St. Thomas, Exeter in 1874.
GGrandfather Samuel Payne Randall, seems to have helped his son to eventually become a Merchant Navy Officer.
The first real evidence of his occupation comes from South Shields where he qualified as a mate from the Training College.( His certificate is held by us).
His marriage to Mary McGuckian and subsequent birth of his first 3 children took place in the Tyne Region.
He subsequently moved to Liverpool and became the Senior Captain of the "Leyland Line" a line that was eventually taken over by another shipping line.
Some time during the Great war, and while he was still a 1st Officer, the ship was stopped by a German U-Boat.
The crew were forced to abandon ship, but unknown to the Germans my Grandfather and a rating were hiding under the gun's cowling.
When the crew were well away they managed to discharge 2 rounds from their 6 inch gun and damaged the U-Boat below it's waterline.
We are trying to find out about the exact circumstances, but the attached picture clearly shows him standing the ship, with the 6 inch gun behind, with his medal and the Luger Pistol he seems to have acquired.
More news to follow!!
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Father Charles I. Randall gains 7 medals in 2nd World War

My father originally became an Officer Cadet to train as a Merchant Navy Officer.
This was facilitated by his father, a Captain in the Leyland Line which sailed out of Liverpool.
Because of the Great Depression all Cadets were laid off to save money and my father took employment with a steel stockholder called Baldwins.
He soon made his mind up to return to sea and ran away as a Bell Boy (Unpaid).
He married my mother in 1932 as she turned 21. He travelled back and forth on the Monarch and Queen of Bermuda between Liverpool, Bermuda and New York.
My mother subsequently lived in Bermuda, before returning for my birth in December 1934. At 6 months of age we returned for a short while to Bermuda, before moving to New York for a while.
We stayed on 52nd Street, in a flat owned by my Great Aunt Isabella McGuckian my Grandmother Randall's elder sister.
My 1st birthday was held on the top of Empire States Building.
We went back to Bermuda where my father became Asst. Manager of the British Naval Base (at that time the largest Naval Base in the world), before the whole family returned for the birth of my sister Maureen in November 1938.
When the war broke out and during the May Blitz, we were bombed a number of times, as we lived at 49, Tilston road, Aintree, only 1/2 a mile from a very large Ordinance factory on the nearby industrial estate.
With my father away at sea, we decided to move to Penmaenmawr, where my Grandmother's sister Aunty Nellie lived.
We stayed with a Mrs Griffith, possible relation(There are Griffith's in my Welsh Tree).



My father travelled all over the world to USA, Burma, Pacific, South Africa, Russia, and in doing so earned with clasps over 7 campaign medals.

There were three voyages of historical interest.

Brian in golf article about R.B.G.C. 2008 Open

While walking on Southport Pier, I was stopped by a photographer for a picture to be taken, with a view to a journalist interviewing people about the benefits of the "The Open 2008" on the area.
When he contacted me and found that I was a member of Royal Birkdale GC he advised me that he was coming to attend Media Day. He suggested that I play with him, and we had a very good days golf. The article written for the June 2008 issue of "Todays Golfer" is very humorous and a good read.
Click here to read the article which is 5 pages long in Acrobat PDF Format
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Son-in-Law Neil Rogan plays in UBS Warburg Cup with Tom Watson

• Neil Rogan, who is married to my middle daughter Helen, graduated from Cambridge University in 1982 with a hat-trick of achievements:

• First he was awarded a Blue for golf, representing Cambridge University against Oxford University at Hunstanton GC.
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• Second he achieved a First Class degree in Economics.
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• Third came finding a stunning blonde girl with pink shoes with whom to go to the Cambridge May Ball.

Brian serves in 1st Royal Horse Artillery on National Service April 1953-1955

Lance Bombadier Brian I.Randall No.22864007 "B" Battery of the 1st Royal Horse Artillery: Right of the Line: Senior Regiment of the British Army. Ceremonial Duties carried out by King's Troop of the Honourable Artillery.

Need I say more?

• Ski training for 4 weeks in Bavaria, in case we were needed in Norway
• 4 week course at the old Wermacht HQ near to the Belson Concentration Camp, where I was billeted with Lord Alanbrook's son doing National Service. He came back off holidays with his model planes from home (his mother wanted them clearing out). We went to the top floor of our billets and lit them, letting them fly from the top of the Wermacht HQ. Imagine the German farmers when they saw these planes in flames flying across their fields to destruction
• Camping for 10 days at the side of the reconstructed Mohne Dam (617 Squadron, RAF, "The Dambusters" operation "Chastise")
• Becoming a trained Motor Cyclist and eventually Regimental Surveyor traversing woods and hills to enable guns of all 3 batteries to be aligned.
• Learning to play a silver trumpet and taking part in a small jazz band( Blanco room)
• 8 week of maneuvers,referred to as "Repulse" when the use of strategic nuclear weapons was involved. The subsequent turmoil when we were attacked by the Canadian Black Watch with a few skulls cracked. I remember the password to this day "Liver lights"
• Playing hockey on the parade ground, the aim being to miss the goal and hit the Quartermaster's window. He soon cottoned on to our tricks and had a large net placed behind the goal. It seems we all turned to Rugby Union principles and tried to score goal kicks!! over the net.
• The Battery Sergeant Major had been short changing us with rations and we realised that he was storing the goods in the Battery Command Post Half Track where I worked.
  On return and before he could later in the evening offload it, we came with a table top and transported it to our barracks.
  We had to decide where we were going to hide it.
  The perfect answer was using the building's gutters, as most of the goods were tins. As expected the following morning there was a full kit inspection, to no avail. By using a brush handle we were able to push the goods in any direction and fed on steak and kidney pie, rich fruit cake and many more delights. We used an upturned iron to provide cooking heat, sat and enjoyed our extra bonus listening to Perry Como, etc.
• One sad occasion was when a friend fell backwards off a tank while it was reversing and was killed. Another occurred in the town centre, when a small Volkswagen turned left without indicating and a tank rode over the top.
  Hope you enjoyed just a few of the events of 1953-55. Please contact me if you remember the times spent together.

Unusual birthday dates in family tree

When you record dates of birth and marriages, sometimes there seems to be a pattern of unusual dates:

            Name                   Dates

1. Brian I. Randall      25/12/1934   Christmas Day
2. Charles I. Randall   04/07/1904   USA Independence Day
3. Niall Leonard         04/07/1904    USA Independence Day
4. Doris Randall          21/06/1911   Longest Day of Year
5. Davide de Maestri   31/08 1966   August Bank Holiday
6. Maureen Randall     05/11/1938   Guy Fawkes Night
7. James G. Munro     01/04/1885   April Fools Day

Uncle Syd Durrant sails around the world in 7 years

1. I am hoping in due course to make available some of Syd's amazing stories. Even the hardened sailors will be amazed at his adventures which took place in the late 60's through to mid 70's. We will make it clear when it becomes available
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Mum ( Doris Munro) and Dad's (Charles Ingall Randall) Wedding on the 15th JUne 1932.

1. My mother was a hairdresser, with the traditional "Randall" blond hair.
   My father was a seafarer just the opposite with jet black wavy hair.
   They were due to get married on the 8th of June 1932, but father's boat was delayed sailing from New York for a week and the wedding was put back to the 15th.
   I am trying to establish Dad's Best man and Mum's Bridesmaids, although I am certain one is Gladys Mum's sister, and only recently at her 98th birthday, she could not remember for certian.
   For a short while they lived in Barrow-in-Furness whilst one of the Furniss Withy Line boats was fitted out. ( from the picture below you can clearly see my father is 5 foot 4 inches only !!
   They eventually went and stayed in New York and Bermuda,whilst Dad travelled between on the The Monach and Duchess of Bermuda (sister ships).
   Eventually I was born in December 1934 and at the age of 5 months went to Bermuda, where I believe I won a baby competition. ( The small cup unmarked is still held). We subsequently went to New York and stayed with Aunty Bell's (McGuckian) who had gone to USA about 1900 and was my Grandmothers sister.
   I had my 1st birthday party on top of the Empire States Building.
   Eventually we went to live in Bermuda, coming home for my sister Maureen to be born on the 5th November 1939.
   Because of the outbreak of war, we were unable to return to Bermuda, and lost all our possesions.
   My father returned to sea, and spent most of the war transporting troops to war zones, hence his medals. my father died a week before my youngest daughter Julie ws born in Lytham. My Mother and sister were persuaded to move to Southport after 60 years in 49, Tilston Road, Aintree, Liverpool.
   My sister died in January 1995 and my mother went into a Rest Home in June 2009 at the age of 98 years old.
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