TV detective Ralf Little journeyed to the Orkney Isles to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather on tonight's episode of Who Do You Think You Are? Little explored the history of his maternal grandfather, Arthur.
At first it was believed that Arthur was a butcher. But soon Little was shocked to learn that at the outbreak of war, he signed up for the Royal Navy and was stationed at Proserpine naval base.
Envisioning his grandfather on the same journey, Little said: "Was he excited? Was he nervous? I tell you what I bet he was, I bet he was cold."
Ralph Little's grandfather served in the HMS Indefatigable
As Little learns more of his grandfather's wartime career, he's shocked to learn that he switched roles frequently. Moving from a sick berth attendant in the naval hospital at Proserpine to join the Fleet Air Arm in 1943.
Following his career from the hospital to aircraft carriers, Little was surprised to hear that his grandfather played a part in a major battle of the Second World War. A photo of his grandfather showed him on the HMS Indefatigable in Sri Lanka. The revelation led Little to cry out: "Shut up! You're joking." A crucial player in the Battle of Okinawa, the HMS Indefatigable was the target of the first kamikaze attack on a British vessel on April 1st 1945.
"That's incomprehensible. Terrifying. He never talked about [what happened], I wonder if he went away from my gran and came back a different person after the war. But what an amazing story about my grandad.
"I had no idea he had such a tough life. He faced hardship a lot and he just took it, for the greater good. I wish I'd asked him about it. I wish I'd got to know him better. I guess I didn't realise there was that much to talk about."
Fans were just as thrilled to learn of Arthur's incredible role. Sharon tweeted: "@RalfLittle I think you should be very proud of your great grandfather. Perhaps he is far wiser than his descendants," while Caspar said: "Loving your #WhoDoYouThinkYouAre You are SO respectful to your relatives."
Ending the episode, Little sums up with a round-up of his findings: "A war hero, an international footballer and one of the founders of Manchester”. What a great collection of ancestors."
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