Rebecca Clare

I’ve recently bought this book because I thought the idea of hearing about the experiences of a lower ranking serviceman would be fascinating. Unfortunately, after reading the foreword written by Neville Chesterton I don’t think I could stomach reading the rest of the book. In the foreword he accuses the majority of young people of “not knowing or caring” about the hardships faced by his generation. What a load of rubbish! He’s obviously not spoken to many young people because if he had bothered to make an effort to do so he would find that the majority of them care very much indeed and are intelligently curious about the history of WW2. And to criticise children for not leaning about the sinking of the Lancastria at school is ludicrous. Children are not in charge of the National Curriculum and therefore have very little power to dictate what they are taught in school. And as for complaining about service women “getting pregnant”! Perhaps he should have brushed up on his biology; men make women pregnant. And why on earth should women not be entitled to maternity pay? I have therefore surmised that Neville grew into a bitter old man and I don’t know if I care to read, what his foreword suggests, are going to be his entitled and arrogant view on his experience in WW2.