Burma

I met one of them when he came out of hospital after being wounded and losing an eye.

I used to sit on an upturned barrel where he worked with my father and listen to his many tales of hardship he and his mates had to put up with.

One of his tales was about a mule that decided it had had enough and sat down on the narrow mountain path, holding up the column in the process.

It changed its attitude when one of the troops carefully laid its tail over a rock then stamped on it with his hobnailed boots.

I believe the troops were called collectively, “chindits”.

I also remember a brother who came through Dunkirk, North Africa, Italy and three years as a policemen in Palestine before we saw him again.

ME Harris, Darlington.

OVER the years there have been many fine letters in the has column but few have surpassed the one submitted by Bill Callen on January 24.

the letter must have been difficult to write as I suspect that Mr Callen was quite justifiably cross at the insensitive letter from Christopher Wardell that seemed to disparage his wartime military service. Despite this, Mr Callen’s response was dignified and admirably restrained.

My father fought with the British Expeditionary Force and was caught up in the retreat from Dunkirk. He was very reluctant to talk of this experience but when he did so I could see that it caused him pain.

There were many acts of bravery, usually of the stoical kind, but also instances of cowardice. This was war, not the sanitised and glorified version depicted in films and comic books.

I don’t know what he did in detail, I didn’t particularly care, but I do know I was extremely proud of him. Not every soldier could be a paratrooper. I think that we owe him and the likes of Mr Callen the utmost respect and gratitude.

VJ Connor, Bishop Auckland.