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Synopsis
As war raged in Europe, Betty Hussey and Jack Stoate were married, bringing together two families whose members fought across the globe during the Second World War. Called to Arms traces the wartime experiences of the author’s relatives — including his parents — to present a fascinating account of the impact of conflict on the ordinary people of Britain who gallantly came forward to do their bit. It is the sheer variety of wartime duty that makes this narrative unique — and representative of a nation.
They include an RAF pilot, a Land Girl, a member of the Home Guard, a Royal Marine, an infantryman and a merchant seaman. They fight in North Africa and Italy, brave the Atlantic and Russian convoys, work on the infamous Burma-Siam Railway and take part in D-Day. Not all of them survive. Using previously unpublished material including log books and private correspondence, together with interviews with surviving family members, this book provides an extraordinary insight into the British at war.
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