I WAS going through dad’s papers, tidying away a long life. He had not left much admin, just two boxes of papers to empty, but one stopped me in my tracks. It was a wooden job, full of old documents, and underneath were three medals. He had never talked about the war, just wanted to forget.
There was the 1939-45 Star, which everyone got, and the Defence Medal for non-combatants. Dad told us he was a naval officer with a ‘cushy number’ ashore, so the Atlantic Star surprised me, as it was awarded for the Battle of the Atlantic. Dad saw action after all.
Putting everything back, a notebook fell out, opening at the heading ‘The Misery Train’. The first line read: “I can’t tell anyone, so I’m writing this…
