THE war diary of York soldier Douglas Hudson is a genuine slap in the face for all those gung-ho types who revel in the so-called glory of battle.
Hudson was shot at, bombarded, suffered strafing by enemy planes, endured "friendly fire" and picked up body parts for burial after battle, but it was all part of "doing his bit" like his comrades.
When offered a chance to be decorated, he embodies the spirit, the endurance and the humanity of a generation who never willingly sought conflict, but who never flinched from it.
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