Robert Street is a chartered building surveyor who lives in Solihull, West Midlands with his wife Christine and their three children. He runs a successful building surveying company, Edgeworth Street Ltd.
What did Granddad do in the War?
All kids seem to ask that nowadays. Many don't know, nor do their parents. Some never find out because the suffering and horrors experienced prevented men talking about the war years. In some cases the details have been taken to their graves.
As a boy, Robert enjoyed listening to the stories that his father, Raymond would tell him of his own time spent in WW2 and as time went by, he decided to record the tales in a series of books.
His first was published in 1998, titled, "A Brummie in Burma" and told of the experiences of a typical lad from Birmingham's inner city being thrust into the amazing sight of of exotic lands and the horrors of war.
It chronicled the activities and achievements of his Regiment, the Fourth Battalion of the Queen's Own Royal West Kents through the Burma campaign, including their remarkable defence during the 'Siege of Kohima,' where the 'Battle for Burma' was fought and the Japanese advance to India was halted.
Subsequent to that book many of the former Royal West Kents have contacted me with information about that battle which previously was unknown. Some of which has not been even disclosed to family or friends.
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"During the last five years I have researched the Siege and taken accounts from those that were there. Unfortunately memories have faded in some cases where in others, they are still vivid.
This book details the experiences of the Fourth Battalion of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment during the Siege and defence of the Garrison of Kohima.
It tells of personal experiences and the individual thoughts of the men as some four hundred and forty six 'West Kents,' together with the Assam Regiment and Assam Rifles held nearly fifteen thousand fanatical Japanese soldiers at bay for sixteen days until relief arrived.
Although this was probably the most important battle of the Second World War, a turning point in favour of the allies, it went unnoticed in the bigger picture and gave rise to the troops becoming known as the 'Forgotten Army.'
Many of them have told me that they refuse to be forgotten and have freely given me details of the Siege so that the truth is known once and for all.
Their story is told through the eyes of my father, Raymond Street, who still today has vivid memories of that time and gives a detailed and an in-depth account of what the day-to-day events were like. The story may be disjointed in part where their recollection of exact events was not available, however, it has been left this way. To resort to invention would detract from these mens' achievements".
Price: £9.99 ISBN No: 1903172 35 7
Published by: Barny Books, Hough on the Hill, Grantham, Lincs | |
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