The following is a letter he addressed to his parents after the Dunkirk evacuation:
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Letter dated May 29 1940
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"Dear Mother and Father,
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At last I am able to answer your letter . This is after spending hours on the beach at Dunkirk waiting in an apparently endless queue of thousands whilst they loaded up slowly and the Boche bombed us. At last we wandered along the jetty and we thought that our long tramps were over when down came the Boche and bombed the jetty. We were bombed again as we left and in mid-Channel the boat suddenly rocked over and as the crockery smashed in all directions we realised that the blighters had just missed.
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Anyway , after a very hectic time we are glad to be on the way back , tired, dirty, but not beaten.
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We have had our share of excitement and fear but we can't complain of boredom.
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Anyway I am jolly glad to have the prospect of a bath , a change of clothes and the great luxury of sleeping in a bed with my clothes and boots off. And I will be able , some day to sleep the clock round. After living on bully and biscuits a good meal will be grand.
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We came down to the saloon and found a cup of hot tea waiting . It tasted marvellous , just marvellous.
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However one feels awfully fit with it all. There is that glow of health that comes from an open air life.
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When you are expecting to be captured every minute it takes the fun off a life in the open air .
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However we have got away safe and sound for which Allah be praised.
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We are going on to Aldershot and some day we expect to get leave. See you soon, cheerio, haste.
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With love, Harry."
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