David Holbrook
Page from a letter to his parents
Meanwood Park, Leeds, [Summer 1944]
From MS Add. 9987

Transcript:

4

lined up in harbour the other side of the wood. I went round to the side where the road was and had a look round. There was a bit of machine gun fire. In the wood, unknown to me, was a German patrol, with two of our own chaps taken prisoner, and also our Colonel (doing a sh*t or something.) Suddenly some of the tanks the other side of the wood saw the Germans. They opened up & eventually the whole Regiment fired into the wood at the rate of three machine guns per tank (about 180 altogether!) This was not so funny as I was the other side. Also they opened up with 75mm guns. Bits of tree whizzed down on me & bullets tore up the ground all round.