- Contributed by听
- celiarose
- People in story:听
- Lou Rose
- Location of story:听
- North Africa
- Background to story:听
- Army
- Article ID:听
- A6573756
- Contributed on:听
- 31 October 2005
When my husband came home after serving with the 8th Army inN. Africa, he would tell his children aged 5 and 6 war stories. The stories tended to get bigger and better over the years but one remained the same. It was "Under the Train"
He told them how he landed in 1942 at a very bad time, troops were retreating, and ordered to break up and make for base.
He hid under an empty train. "All the past events of my life fashed through my mind - leaving my lovely wife and children. The bombs were dropping and I really thought that this was the end."
The children grew up and the stories were told to the grandchildren, but as they got older they suspected the story was glamourised and did not quite believe it happened.
However the moment of truth arrived in 1983 when I met the keeper of documents at the Imperial War Museum who asked me if I had any letters from my husband, as they wanteds letters for research from a soldier to his wife.
We came home and took out the precious bundle of letters and lo and behold there was a letter recounting the under the train story, written the next day, absolute proof, if really did happen.
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