L/Cpl. Harry Edward Clifton Pack
British Army 9th Btn. Devonshire Regiment
from:3 Chesterfield Road, Leyton
My father, Harry Pack, did not talk much about the War. He served with the 9th, 10th, 77th and 30th Devonshires. I know he was at Dunkirk and D-day. He also served on the Isle of Scilly. He received an accidental injury in 1945 and was transferred to the Y-list. I only found this out from his military record and have no idea what the injury was. The most poignant story he told was seeing his best friend blown up next to him. Every Remembrance Day he would drive out into the countryside so he wouldn't have to hear the gun salute.
My mother said he wore a dark red beret. I believe that meant he was a paratrooper at one point. She also said he taught other soldiers how to land from a parachute jump. He did tell some funny stories. He was a bit mischievous at times. One day he was patrolling through the countryside and seeing some onions in a farmer's field, he and a fellow soldier found a tin bath and filled it up. Another time it was his turn to cook the dinner. He burnt the meat and, ever the optimist, he found some curry powder to disguise the taste. The men said it was the best meal they ever had. One day, when he was on leave and not supposed to leave the town, he persuaded a man with a private aircraft to fly him home.
I am very proud of my father. The results of the war affected him through his life, as it did many soldiers, but he did his duty for his country and you can't ask for more than that.
