A man who emigrated to Australia more than 50 years ago has returned to York – and his family threw him a surprise birthday party to celebrate him turning 80. John Camamile was born in Newton on Ouse on June 1, 1944. Eight days later a Halifax Bomber crashed into their home – killing most of the crew on board and destroying the house.
John and his sister Joyce Press were at home and survived. His other sister, Barbara Hemingway, recalled: “I’d gone away for the baby to be born, otherwise I wouldn’t have been here today because they couldn’t get to my bedroom.” They lived in Newton on Ouse as their father was in the Royal Air Force.
After the crash the family was rehomed in Tollerton, where they lived in Malt Kiln cottages. Barbara described Tollerton as a “a proper old-fashioned village” with a strong community. “It was such a happy place.
We didn’t have expensive toys or anything like that – we made our own entertainment.” The 83-year-old, who lives in New Earswick, said she, John and Joyce attended school in Tollerton and later Easingwold. Afterwards, Barbara worked at the Singer Sewing Machine shop in Coney Street for around 50 years until retirement and Joyce worked in Boots, also in Coney Street.
John, meanwhile, became an apprentice electrician at British Rail then joined the merchant navy as an electrical engineer – the job that took him to Australia, where he has lived since 1967. He has returned to York three times since, Barbara said, and.
