Called to Arms (One Family's War, from the Battle of Britain to Burma)

On a cold day in January 1944, as war raged in Europe, Betty Hussey and Jack Stoate were married. In so doing they brought together two families, whose members fought across the globe to defeat the Axis. In Called to Arms, Edward Lambah-Stoate traces the wartime experiences of nine 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. These included a Battle of Britain pilot, a Land Girl, a member of the Home Guard, a Royal Marine, an infantryman, and a merchant seaman, who between them fought in North Africa and Italy, braved the Atlantic and Russian convoys, were captured by the Japanese and worked on the Burma-Siam Railway, and took part in D-Day. Not all of them survived, but their contribution was invaluable—and representative. Using a wealth of previously unpublished material including log books, private correspondence, and memoirs, this book provides a unique insight into one family's war.