Description

by Dominique Allen

Freddie had sounded confident: ‘If it’s spring then it’s Sicily and we’ll be in Rome for summer,’ then shipped Gertie back to Blighty to recover from those injuries. Sure-enough Malta had been true to its word and held its ground and they’d taken Sicily, with the Brits linking up with the Yanks near Salerno … but there was no way Kesselring was going to let the Allies just waltz into Rome!

Monty had been slowed to a crawl and no one was getting a straight answer from Clark … and there was a place called Cassino that seemed to be a ‘bit of a stumbling block’! “Deep mud and rough valleys are ripe for reckless thinking, but winter and minefields are enough to give any man cause to hunker.”

Back home Miss Aggy had assured Gertie, ‘no need to explain,’ but Mrs Tweeny wasn’t waiting for an invitation – she was ready for ‘battle-stations’ and Gertie duly scrambled!

The Post Mistress wasn’t fooled by Gertie’s hale-and-hearty manner, either. But it was Tor’s scoffing ‘all sense and sinew’ that proved the last straw … “Maybe it’s time I told you about Tunisia.”

The last message from Freddie and his American buddies was ‘definitely something’. According to Pads, it was unclear beyond ‘somewhere near Ceprano’ and he didn’t want to get Gertie’s hopes up; but then there was that ‘bring toolbag and don’t forget biscuit tin’! “Right, then that’s decided,” Gertie declared … and Doc Dook booked the berths.

“Bogged down by blizzards, half way up an unfriendly mountain,” Gertie should have guessed: “time to fetch Freddie!”

These stories are set within the Second World War, during key moments and through decisive battles… but they are, essentially, about an English village errand-boy and his friends, helping where they can, fighting when they must and discovering country wisdom and common-sense hold true the world over, war or no war!

Format: Paperback

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