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

Transcript:

7

came. (That was when David B. got killed.) I think that taught us the lesson of the importance of having a plan for a massed attack on German positions. All we could see of this position was a line of thick orchard, and a couple of farm houses.

One of the toughest enemy positions in front of CAEN, captured by us + infantry later
CLOUD OF SMOKE OVER CAEN
village of CAMBES (see newspaper maps)
BEAUTIFUL PEACEFUL MEADOWS, DEEP CORN, WILD FLOWERS

My pre-invasion training held some good secrets. Last summer we were training with special amphibious tanks on Fritton Decoy, near Oulton Broad. These things are not off the Secret list yet, so I can’t tell you more, except they were