Dec 4, 2016

"Champagne and scrambled eggs for supper!"

The personal war diary and letters home from Major Petch offer a unique glimpse into the lives of the British soldiers during Dunkirk in 1940 WW2.

"It'll all be over when it gets hotter" was the prevailing opinion.

This changed in a matter of days as the weather did get...

Oct 15, 2016

"We're having a marvellous time!" 

When Company Sergeant Major Gray wasn't fighting for the Green Howards, sometime in 1944 he found time to compose some war poetry. Six linked poems paint a picture of the journey across the English Channel and onwards through Normandy, ending with a letter home to Doug's mum and dad,...

Oct 9, 2016

War memoirs of a WW2 military medal hero.

"Cognac, Calvados and kisses!".

The previous episode of the diary ended with Company Sergeant Major Gray winning the Military Medal. His battalion, the 7 Green Howards, had landed on Gold Beach on D-Day 6 June and advanced some distance into the dangerous French countryside.

Oct 7, 2016

Doug Gray was there on D-Day and beyond. He wrote his diary and fascinating it is too. He even wrote a diary entry on the day he won his military medal, before he knew he'd won it!

The diary’s been supplied by Doug’s family. The entries start just before D-Day and finish several weeks after, so it’s quite a rare...

Jul 20, 2016

Lancaster Flight Sergeant Claude Reynolds' WW2 memories.

Claude was rear gunner in a Lancaster during the 2nd world war and flew many sorties all over Europe. He experienced no end of scary moments during his time as a member of 49 Squadron in the much-regaled No 5 Group Bomber Command. So he’s got plenty of...