So after months of waiting, suddenly without warning, my book is launched. Overnight copies drop onto the doormats of those who ordered them in advance and within hours my inbox erupts.
After so many years of drawing this all together, the joy its bringing to so many people has really pleased me. Daughters and granddaughters are chuffed to see their family members mentioned, nephews of those killed describing it as a ‘triumph’ and that they “can’t put it down”, and people I have never met recognising family faces on pictures in the plate section. All this really makes it worthwhile. From far afield, relatives of Suffolk officers in America and Canada, who have brought the ebook version, are delighted to read of their ancestors exploits.
I only wish I had a copy myself but mine is yet to arrive. it’s held up somewhere, most probably ‘delayed by enemy action’ so the image here is of a copy brought by the Battalion Signal Officers son which he kindly sent me this morning.
This is what it’s been all about - putting down a factual record of 1/Suffolk’s exploits 75 years ago for future generations to read. I think my initial aim of a ‘warts and all’ humanly-told story at a Battalion level, has been achieved.
