大象传媒

While I was staying with relatives I was asked if I would like to look through an old suitcase of photos and keepsakes. As I am interested in history especialy military I was only too keen to rumage through.What I found not only fascinated me but changed my life. I became determined to find out more about a series of letters and photos that looked like nobody had picked them up for 50 years or more. It took me a while to get them into date order and to read them through and note down any relivant information. My next step was to talk to relatives, I must point out that the people in the letters are related to my wife and not myself.My Father in law filled me in on the basic facts, and told me that the person who wrote the letters a young man called Edmund Snook was actually his Mothers Brother.The first letter was dated 30.7.44 and was the first chance he had to write since landing in France on D Day.The things that I noticed about this letter was that he had already received post from home as he appologises for not replying sooner and that he addresses it to his sister but signs it your loving son. I can only try to imagine what a hard and stressful month Eddie must have been through. Eddie was serving with The Queens Royal Regiment at the time which I believe to be T/A battalion.He wrote three more times with the Queens and then on the 11.12.44 writes that he's transfered to the Royal Norfolk Regt. Eddies letters became even more interesting at this time as he mentions Churchill and Monty. He talks about the severe winter they are having but seems to know the war is almost over.I was very lucky with my research because I managed to get in contact with his section leader ( L CPL ). The information that he gave me was invaluable. Eddie was a pianist and when the lads in C Company found out they pestered him to write home for some sheet music.On the morning of 4.4.45 a roll of sheet music arrived from England.Eddie never opened it he just held it up and said "its arrived lads". They were very busy that day as they had recently crossed the Rhine and were entering Germany. Lingen was a small Town on the German borders and there were many Nazis hiding out there. These Nazis refused to believe that the war was almost over and put up a very strong resistance. C Company were doing house to house searches looking for hiding German soldiers many of whom were snipers. They were going along a path at the front of some houses when there was a single rifle shot. Everybody took cover but they soon realised that Eddie had been killed instantly.When it was safe to do so they removed him from the muddy puddle he fell into and lay him in an empty house.
When I asked his L Cpl about that day he said "if your time was up it was the best way to go, better than being blown to bits". He then went on to add "I just thought what a bloody shame he never did get to open that sheet music and play. But you got used to it, that was war". Ive written this account of Edmund Snooks short life as a tribute to him. Although I never met him I will never forget him.

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