大象传媒

I was 4 years old when the war started, a year later my father was called up into the army. When I was about 6, he came home on embarkation leave,I remember standing outside our front door with my mother and my 2 year old sister, and waving him goodbye. As he turned the corner, I had a feeling that I wouldn't see him again, how true that was to be. I went inside with my mother and sister, and burst into tears.
He was in the eighth army, and during the years he was away, he went across North Africa, and northwards through Italy. I regularly received from him, letters and airgraphs, these were letters which had been photocopied and reduced in size.I still have them and when I look at them now, I feel very emotional.He would often write about the things we would do when he came home.He said he had a piece of rock from Mount Vesuvius, which had erupted at that time, he was going to bring it home for me.He also went to Rome and Florence, and picked up various souvenirs, which I was looking forward to getting.We lived in Bedford, and during air raids, my mother and I sat under the stairs with my sister, who was sleeping in a cot. The war in Europe ended in May 1945. My mother, my sister, and I were getting very excited, looking forward to seeing dad once again. One day when I came home from school, everything seemed different, mum was crying, soon my grandad, and aunt arrived, nothing was said to me, but I soon realized that it was serious, mum had received a telegram saying that my dad was missing. A few days later, she had news that he had accidentally drowned in a lake in Italy on 26 June 1945, this was my tenth birthday, he was buried in the war grave cemetery in Udine, northern Italy on 28 June, my sister's sixth birthday. I have visited it several times with my husband, my children, and my late mother. All the graves are lovingly tended by the gardener, it is a very peaceful setting. My mother was delighted to see that the inscription which she had sent to the War Graves Comission years before, was carved in the headstone, it reads.
GOD GRANT
IN HEAVEN'S BRIGHT LAND
LIFE'S DAWN MAY FIND US
HEART TO HEART, HAND IN HAND

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