My grandad was a hero
Gary Lineker on why his ancestor’s war story needs to be told…
Former England football captain Gary Lineker uncovered some intriguing family secrets when he appeared on BBC1’S hit genealogy series Who Do You
Think You Are? in 2013.
Discovering his great-greatgreat-grandfather was a poacher in Victorian England, it was actually another story – his grandad Stanley Abbs’ involvement in World War Two – that piqued Gary’s interest.
Which is why the popular Match of the Day presenter is looking into his family history once again for Gary Lineker: My Grandad’s War, exploring the often-overlooked Italian campaign, which started in 1943 and played a key part in the eventual Allied victory.
Here, Gary, 58, tells us more about his journey into the past and why the veterans’ contribution must never be forgotten…
Why was it so important to you to make this documentary?
I first discovered my grandfather’s story when filming Who Do You Think You Are?, but there were so many stories to cover, they didn’t have chance to feature it. Then the same production company asked me to make a documentary about him and I knew it was something I had to do.
He served in Italy as a member of the Royal Army Medical Corps. I don’t remember him ever speaking about his experiences in the war – it was grim, so I understand why.
But after doing a bit of research on the Italian campaign, I realised that others might not know much – if anything – about this time in World War Two. It’s a story that hasn’t been told as frequently as D-day and I wanted to see what my grandad and thousands like him did for our country.
Can yell us a bit about your grandfather? What was he like?
He passed away when I was in my early 20s but he was a lovely guy. He was a good golfer and had a really engaging, smiling personality. And he was always eating Polos!
It must have been upsetting as you delved into his story…
What emerged about that Italian campaign is just unimaginable. Being in the Royal Medical Corps, he was one of the first people to get on the beach when they landed, helping set up the camps and the medical-aid sites.
To consider how treacherous the landing was
– being shot at – was very similar to how it was in Normandy. Everything that I discovered was educating and sometimes very upsetting. But there were uplifting moments, too, such as learning what they managed to achieve against all the odds.
You meet some incredible people along the way in this documentary, don’t you?
I met William Earl, who was 104 years old, and Fred Mason, who was 95. They were amazing and
I want to give a bit more respect for all the people that lived and died in this battle
their memories were incredible. They really evoked how difficult and awful it was, but at the same time were so humble.
Fred wanted to chat on top of the hill at the battlefield and when I asked if he’d been scared during the war, he said, ‘All the time. And anybody that says they weren’t scared is a liar.’ That really resonated with me.
Is it true that the soldiers self-deprecatingly called themselves ‘D-day dodgers’, despite their heroic fighting?
I hadn’t heard that saying before the show and it couldn’t be further from the truth. The Normandy landings happened just after the Allies captured Rome, and it usurped that in the headlines. It was a joke at their own expense.
The truth is that the campaign was enduring and tough and so many people saw incredibly awful things, and many lost their lives.
What was the most emotional moment for you?
Filming how my grandad had to get across one of the rivers. I was working out where he’d have been in the medical-aid tent, knowing that harrowing scenes would’ve been happening, with the river literally running red with blood. I found myself emotional knowing he’d been just yards from that spot.
What would you like people watching it to take away from this documentary?
I think we’re all pretty ignorant about the horrors of war and the true bravery of the men that fought in it, so I just want to get the story out there.
Although it’s about my grandfather, it’s also about the thousands of people from this country and the US, Poland, India and New Zealand who went through Italy, with the Germans constantly firing at them.
I don’t want to take away from the bravery that the soldiers showed during D-day, but I want to give a bit more respect for all the people that lived and died in this battle.