211264 Sgt George Henry James Holmes British Army 6th.Royal Tank Regt from:Catford,London My father, George Holmes, served in the 6th.RTR in the Middle East through the North African campaign, Palestine and thence into Italy. He saw action at Sidi Rezegh where his closest friend John 'Nip' Friar was killed.He was also at Tobruk and El Alamein.
When Dad came home he spoke little about his experiences through the war and my Mother always said he was not the same man who went away in 1940.He suffered mood swings and was often an angry man and it was until 1957 when I went into the RAF that he actually started to speak of what he had seen and done.
I realise now that he, like so many of our fathers and grandfathers was suffering what is now known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Having read a number of letters in the Wartime Memories Project entries for a number of Regimenrs this has become a very noticeable symptom described by many of the letter writers.
My hope is that there will be an end to wars and the terrible affect to families of those serving soldiers when they return home.
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