At 72 years old, Joseph Diamond’s life has revolved around war. At age four, Joseph’s earliest memory is one filled with pain and suffering. In the summer of 1942 German bombers flew over Dublin and discharged their remaining bombs before returning home; the aftermath was truly devastating. He described the faces of the people around him as “white with all the dust” as the look of fright gripped the ones he loved. Joseph still relives the traumas of the bombing and even though he was so young, he can remember it with clarity.
After working on market stalls around Ireland in his early teens Joseph then joined the Irish Free State army at age 15. In the years following, Joseph witnessed several situations and disasters similar to the one he suffered at age four. He then left the army before joining the British navy several years later, in which he visited over 30 countries and learnt to speak four different languages.
If the attack on Dublin taught Joseph anything it was to appreciate and live life to its fullest; something he most certainly has. Joseph has lived in several idyllic locations such as Miami and Canberra but has also found the time to marry three times and have eleven grandchildren.
Joseph settled in Bournemouth in his 50s but regularly visits his grandchildren in the U.S.A. If anything can be taken from Joseph’s story it’s that even those who are born into conflict and disaster can do almost anything.
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