Letter: 'D-Day week is such a poignant one'

My father Oswald Edwards has been in the regular army from 1931 to 1938, came out, married Dora Clarke from Acrefair, they then lived in Lache Lane.

I was born in 1940, on being recalled to duty in 1941 my mother and I moved back to the family in Acrefair.

Then approximately two days before D-Day my father and uncle, my mother's sister's husband, who were in Aldershot War Training Camp, were given 24 hours leave!

Ingeniously they got to London, spoke to the train driver who said:" jump into the guard's van' and they were dropped off in Newbridge (the train slowed down to allow this, a stone's throw away from Acrefair!)

On that night at approximately 11pm I heard knocking at the bedroom window. It was my father throwing pebbles at the window to wake us up.

A few hours were spent with us, then early next morning my father and uncles went to Newbridge, the train slowed down, they jumped back into the guard's van and back to London and to Caen in France the next day and to war.

Oswald and Dora Edwards with baby Beryl

My father was badly wounded and very shell-shocked and returned with the Warwickshire Regiment and was at Hosley Hall in Marford for a while, then because he had travelled back with a Warwickshire Regiment he was transferred to Warwick Hospital then to recuperate he was sent to Shuckburgh Hall which had been turned into a Red Cross Hospital during the war.

My father was offered a job and house so my mother and I moved to Shuckburgh in 1945.

The hall is still owned, by now the 14th Baronet Sir James Shuckburgh.

I have visited Shuckburgh and Lemington Spa over the years, remembering happy times.

On a different note, as our country commemorates and thanks all of those involved in the war I wonder was it worth it? All the suffering and lives lost and what for?

We were so great and looked up to, had everything, leading the world in manufacture etc yet sadly it seems to have all gone. Just to mention sadly my uncle Ernest Hughes of Llangollen was wounded and brought back to Aberdeen where he died.

As a family we moved back to Wales to Llay in 1953.

D-Day week is such a poignant one and I have been displaying my father's medals in my windows.

Just thought I would put words on paper to express my views, I'm hoping you understand.

Mrs Beryl Evans

Chirk