Margaret Campbell told me, “My great Grandfather came from Germany to work in Scotland, and met my great grandma, who was born there, eventually settling down in Blantyre. When the First World War broke out, and my grandfathers, father was interned they changed the family name to Slater.
As a lot of other German families changed names here in Australia also. My Mum was the eldest in her family. She told me her grandfather was sent back to Germany after the war. He never returned back to the family. Her father did not want anything to do with his father for deserting his wife and him and his brother and sisters.
However after the Second World War, mum said they had some visitor from the USA. Jews that had escaped from Germany, with the help of my great grandfather. He had given his friends a letter and a parcel for his family in Scotland, and asked if they made it to freedom, could they pass this on. My mother took it, but my grandfather was still not happy to hear from him. I remember as a kid my grandfather gave us all this paper money to play with. I asked about it wanting to know where it came from. It was German notes and worthless! As a kid I thought we were rich. 20 years since my dad passed we took his ashes back to Blantyre and put them into the Clyde off the bridge at Livingstones. It was in the local paper a photo and write up. Years later we did the same for mum. Took what was left back to Scotland.
The Photo is my eldest brother Robert, then Louis the dirty one, Baby is my brother Alex who lives in Belfast now. Our cousin Ronnie Slater, and me.”
Thank you to Margaret for sharing in such detail.
On social media:
I c.f.ember a girl called Sadie Slater who lived in Priory Street.