After my dad's death in 1998, I inherited 3 brown-paper-covered exercise books. Inside, in his beautiful cursive writing, was his diary account of his WW2 service, including time as a prisoner in camps in N Africa, Italy and Germany.
In 2017, a good friend and I published his story on Amazon. A conscript, in his early twenties, just 4 months married, I feel my dad writes with a light touch, seeking the humanity in any situation.
Of his experience at the work camp at a cement factory in Cossebaude near Dresden :
"I think it was probably the best months I had as a PoW - in Germany - whilst I was working in the factory. You also had that sense of freedom during the day. You weren't hounded by a guard. You were put in the care of a German worker, and as worker to worker we got on reasonably well. I managed to learn German and after a time I managed to make myself understood, horrible though it my have sounded."
My royalties from the publication are donated to the Red Cross: my dad felt their food parcels sent to the camps were key to the survival of many prisoners.
Regrettably he cannot know of readers' reviews of his mémoirs:
In fact the original handwritten diaries are lodged with the Second World War Experience Centre and the Director seemed overwhelmed to receive them and told me he would make sure a best researcher worked on them.
In fact the original handwritten diaries are lodged with the Second World War Experience Centre and the Director seemed overwhelmed to receive them and told me he would make sure a best researcher worked on them.
Peter, yes, I really think he would have been happy!