My father, Sam Townsend, served with 4th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers, from July 1944 until after the end of the war. Throughout that time he wrote frequent, detailed letters home to his parents. He asked them to return the letters to him if and when he returned safely. He did not want to talk about his war experiences but shortly before he died, in 2013, he gave the pack of 50 letters to me. When I read them, I was amazed by how vividly he described what he saw and how he responded to the dangers and challenges he encountered. I have researched the movements of his unit by tracing the Unit war reports in the National Archive and last year I followed the route he took. I am now working on a book and an exhibition (I am an artist) based on his letters.
The additional photo is of my father, Sam Townsend, in 1944.
