大象传媒

I was born November 1939 just after war was declared. My father was in a reserved occupation as a slaughterman. He needn't have joined up, but volunteered much to the dismay of my mother, who had by now two small babies, me just born and my sister 15 months old. My father was based in Iraq during the war- he was in Basra for the duration of his service. They were sending supplies through to Russia, probably the only open port. He was a cook and lucky as he, unlike many of the others could stand the heat.
Some years later my mother sent a small photo of me to my father. She put the caption 'Do you know me Daddy'
I remember one day after the war had ended I was at home with my mother and there was a knock on the front door. I ran to open it and there was a man standing there. He asked 'Is Your Ma in?' I turned to go back into the house and he followed me in along the darkened hall way. It was only only when we got to the living room that I learned that this stranger was my dad!!

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