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15 October 2014
WW2 - People's War

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Norman Harris's War Experiences - by his proud son

by Surrey History Centre

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Contributed by听
Surrey History Centre
People in story:听
Norman and Frederick Harris
Location of story:听
Netherlands
Background to story:听
Army
Article ID:听
A4202803
Contributed on:听
16 June 2005

This story was submitted to the People's War site at Surrey History Centre on behalf of Mr Peter Harris. It was has been added to the site with the author's permission, and he fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

This is the story of my father Norman Harris, who like many never spoke of their experiences during those days. He served with the Dorsets that fought at Arnhem. So much has been written about the brave paras, but this is a personal story of a young man who fought with his brother Frederick who was much older than him. Sadly, his brother was killed in the trench next to him after a mortar round went in where he was taking refuge. From what I know, my father hastily buried him and moved up the line with the rest of his regiment. Roughly a month later my father was wounded and lost his leg, in a place just inside the German border known as Dorset Wood. He was the only one to survive out of seven, when they were hit by a 88mm round from a German tank. A year later, on the first pilgrimage of the Arnhem drop, a national paper ran a article on it. The picture that was in the paper showed two Dutch girls placing flowers on a grave at Oosterbeek Cemetery - and it was the grave of my Father's brother! Until then my Father had no clue as to where he was buried. I have the photo my father got from the press and a story that was run at the time.

Until his death in 1985, my father never forgot those tragic days as a young man, but never spoke of it. As I reflect, my dad is my hero, as I have never had to experience what he and so many others had to endure. To this day I feel I carry my Dad's cross, a proud son Peter.

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