It is over sixty years since I was regarded as one of Lady Astor's D-Day Dodgers in sunny Italy.

In Sicily and Italy over 30,000 so called D-Day Dodgers sleep on, victims of a most harsh and fiercely fought campaign which involved troops of many nations whose main task was to draw enemy troops away from the landing areas in France and the Russian Front. Areas like Salerno, Cassino and Anzio were just three of the many battle fields that chewed up thousands of Allied Troops who because of the Normandy landings were never to have their casualties replaced.

Germany's best troops always fought from prepared positions and there is no doubt with every defensive line that was taken there was another one behind in the next range of hills. Regardless of the regime the German man in the sharp end in Italy was a formidable enemy who without air support never admitted defeat. Kesselring was, with his men, a worthy opponent.

Being over 80 my family asked me to put pen to paper so that they may further understand why I volunteered in the first place, why I stayed on after the war and then left the country I had fought for.

Stanley Buckmaster 2004