George Henry Waters, Labour Agent for Bradford?

[BeppoSapone]

Foolishly I first posted this query at the end of the thread "Music and the Great War" where it sunk without trace. (It was a follow up to a note I posted about the song "When the Tigers Broke Free" which is the story of how Roger Waters' father was killed at Anzio.)

I have been reading more about Roger Waters, and see that besides his father being killed at Anzio his grandfather was killed in WW1.

Does anyone know who his grandfather was, or to put it another way, who was Labour agent for Bradford?

"Waters lost his father at Anzio in 1944, when he was one, and his grandfather to the trenches of the First World War. His grandfather had been a coal miner in the drift mines of County Durham, and latterly Labour agent for Bradford; his father, a communist Christian. Both men loved the English landscape. "You could not fail to be a communist then. The children of Bradford did not have shoes or clogs but rags about their feet," says Waters."

My own guess, based on the fact that Roger Waters actual first name is George, the mining background, and the home details given by the CWGC is: Sapper George Henry Waters of 256th Tunnelling Coy. Royal Engineers. Died 14th September 1916, and buried at Maroeuil British Cemetery. Does anyone know for sure?

[Captain Dave]

Sorry to be a music pedant.

But if you look at the album cover for Pink Floyds Album, "The Final Cut" it shows medal ribbons, including a DFC. I was always under the (obviously mistaken) impression that his father was an officer.

Marry this up with the other images on the back of the album with the officer standing to attention, and his Wall movie where the young chap fishes through his dead dads things, showing a Sam Browne etc.

So is this an example of class consciousness where by the son reinvents his father as an officer and a gentleman, as opposed to a common working man?

I wonder if they sold more albums this way?

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-revie...final-cut.shtml

[BeppoSapone]

Dave

I don't think that class etc entered into it.

Whoever designed the cover was not really up to speed with medal ribbons etc. Just think of all the weird and wonderful mistakes that you get with badges and uniform in any film.

Think of the inner cover to the Jams "Setting Sons" album. All linked, no doubt, to "The Eton Rifles" track.

For the record, Roger Waters father was an officer in the British army. He was 2/Lt Eric Fletcher Waters of 8th Royal Fusiliers. See here:

http://www.cwgc.org/cwgcinternet/casualty_...asualty=2099066

He was killed at Anzio and is listed on the Cassino Memorial because he has no known grave. The song "When the Tigers Broke Free" is supposed to have been written about the death of Eric Fletcher Waters.

Lyrics:

http://pink-floyd.lyrics-songs.com/lyrics/81312/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYtGsvoBVw8