First hand tales of Men in Green through diary

Ann Markwell of Blythe Way in Gamlingay has written a book about the experiences of her beloved uncle, Richard Martin John, known as Dick.

Ann collated his daily diary entries because she feels that people do not know enough about the fighting in Burma.

Dick, who died in 2004, attempted to have the book published on his return to England after the war but he could not afford to do so.

He left Ann his draft work and the rights to the book in his will. Authors Online has published it under the title of Men in Green.

Ann said: “I decided I’d like to do it for uncle because we were very close. It was something I always wanted done.

“My daughter and I did the proof reading and I was nearly crying at the end because of the language and the horrific things that went on.

“It’s all the adventures he had in the very beginning of the SAS (Special Air Service).”

Dick joined the forces at the start of the Second World War and completed nearly a year’s training before he was sent to Burma. Even the training was a challenge, because, as Ann said: “They had live bullets for training and people were killed in training.”

She added: “I felt sorry for the youngsters. They were fighting the Japanese hand to hand.

“There’s nothing known about the war in Burma.”

One particularly horrible moment, she said, was when Dick came across some Americans in the Burmese jungle who looked as though they had been skinned alive.

Dick had to return home from Burma six months before the end of the war because he caught a very bad case of malaria.

Ann said that, despite the horrors of the war, Dick was able to settle back into civilian life without difficulty, getting a job straight away.

If the book is a success Ann intends to give the profits to a charity to help children in Burma.

Men in Green is available on Amazon and in Gamlingay Library Access point.