Bernard's War Poetry

The contributor's grandfather, Bernard James Long, was born in 1908. Bernard studied German Literature; he was in the RAF from 1940 until the end of the War, working on German communications.

Bernard's wife was called Mary Long, and his daughter was Judith Watson. Bernard died in 1996.

The poem starts with departure from Europe, get into a storm, 10,000 in ship, go round Cape of Good Hope, up to Suez, camp in Free French camp, end up in Holy Land, caught malaria and was hospitalized, recovered in Beirut, spent some time in Cairo, expedition to Norway, then in Hamburg with occupying forces.