Band of brothers

Ron Drummond is one of nine brothers who have gained a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the most siblings to serve during the Second World War.

Ron Drummond, a former member of the RN and RAN was one of nine brothers who served during World War II. Nicknamed the ‘fighting bulldogs’ they have gained a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

The last surviving member of a real life Band of Brothers has made an emotional return to the former battleground where he served.

Ron Drummond, who served in both the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy, was one of nine brothers, nicknamed the “fighting bulldogs”, who earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the most siblings to serve
during the Second World War.

Eight of the brothers – Herbert, Ernest, Joseph, Samuel, Henry, George, Victor and Sidney – served in the Army, while Ron was the only brother to serve in the RN, when he signed up in 1941 aged 18.

Later he served in the RAN, as part of the Naval staff at the Australian High Commission in London.
“Apart from normal pay and personnel duties, I was part of the recruiting team which enlisted many hundreds, probably thousands, of mainly ex-Royal Navy officers for the Royal Australian Navy,” he wrote in a letter to Navy News.

The 81-year-old recounted in his letter an emotional return to Italy where he served on the escort destroyer HMS Lamerton, built at Swan Hunter in 1941.

The trip was organised through the Big Lottery Fund’s Heroes Return scheme.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my trip back to Italy,” he said.

“The last time I was near Naples in 1944, we had to sail down a narrow stretch of water avoiding mines, while Mt Vesuvius was erupting.

“It felt strange to be there again in such different circumstances.”

The nine brothers, originally from London, got their “fighting bulldog” nickname after Herman “Sapper” McNeile’s 1920s war adventures called Bulldog Drummond.

There was also two other brothers, Fred, who was in the Home Guard, and Aubrey, who narrowly missed out on serving his country because of poor hearing.

The eldest sibling was their only sister, Lilian, who took on a motherly role for some of her younger brothers.

“Lilian used to joke that she spent her teenage years pushing us around in a pram while mum was having another son,” Ron Drummond said.

“We were all pretty close considering there was 20 years age gap between the eldest and youngest.

“We lived in an ordinary terraced house and at one stage we were having to sleep three in a bed. It was quite a poor upbringing.

“But I am very proud of my family. I am proud the Guinness Book of Records has recognised our contribution to the war effort.”

All of the brothers survived the war, as did their sister Lilian and father Herbert, but tragically their mother Lilian died in June 1944, just after D-Day.

Run courtesy of Nick Whitten of the Shields Gazette..

 

 

 

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