Back to George Henry Line I certify on my honour that the contents of this envelope refers to nothing but private and family affairs....signed ..G H Line	Letters Home 1945 Audio for 1945
		The Family Clock - a souvenir from Italy See entry for 20th January. Being somewhat economical with the truth, George failed to point out in his letter that the clock pictured left - or rather its mechanism - was "liberated" from a bombed out house in Northern Italy believed to be the residence of a local doctor. All the components eventually arrived back in the UK with the exception of the main weight. After the war George built a new case as he intended and is seen here. The weight was fashioned from a 40mm shell case and filled with molten lead. Once solid it was drilled out to give the correct weight for the mechanism to run. It moved from London to Norfolk, Norfolk to Kent, back to Norfolk after George`s death, and finally back to continental Europe where it now resides in France. After more than sixty years it continues to keep accurate time.
The War			The Letters
10th January - In the Ardennes the German bulge is being cut back daily			.....I have just received a watch from Cape Town, a chap in our platoon knows somebody there and he got him to send some watches on. They are very good and I am very pleased with it......... (George gave this Tissot watch to his son David in 1966. It was lost down a drain in High Holborn, London, when David was running to catch a train and the strap broke)
20th January - The Ardennes - Brandenburg is taken in the Allied advance			......I had a letter from Cis (his wife) telling me that she had received one of the parcels containing the clock, I hope she gets the one with face, etc, otherwise I am afraid it will be no good. When I get home I intend to make a case for it. It is a pendulum clock and is rather good I think.......
31st January - Germany. American troops cross into Germany east of St Vith. Russian forces are just 50 miles from Berlin			.......we have had some heavy falls of snow which has thawed and then frozen and then it snowed again. It has made the roads very bad and generally upset things all round. I go to bed these nights with as much clothing on as I normally wear during the day............the Russians are going great guns and the distance to Berlin is shortening daily.........
12th February - British and canadian troops are just a few miles short of the River Rhine			.........just now the subject of conversation is this gratuity business and I think it is pretty good taking it all around. I did not expect to get a gratuity on coming out of the Army.....
16th February - US Third Army Units begin their advance from southern Luxembourg			......well here I am at the Eighth Army Rest Hotel. I am here for 48 hrs. It is certainly a grand place, the food is good and we are waited on by Ities. First thing in the morning we are brought a cup of tea in bed and then breakfast at 8-30...........I see that there are a lot of POWs released by the Russians lately, be good news if Aunt Kit`s boy and Bill`s (his brother-in-law serving as a commissioned officer in the Royal Navy ) brother were amongst them......
24th February - On the Eastern Front Poznan falls after four weeks of fighting			.....I suppose you will soon be working in the garden again now that the better weather is on its way. I suppose most people still go in for vegetables, be a change to see the gardens full of flowers again instead of brussels and cabbages.......
5th April - Germany. Osnabruck falls to the Allies.US troops reach the River Weser opposite Hameln.			......I have seen some very good war films lately, they are part of a series of 7 and included in the show is a commentary given by a Sgt. Major of the A E Corps. He is very good. By the way he gives the end of the War by the end of April......
1st May - German radio announces the death of Adolf Hitler.			....well, Dad, it looks as if all the folks are preparing to go back home. It looks very much like the War has had it and I am expecting to hear any day now that it is all over.....
10th May - Norway. Resistance fighters capture Vidkun Quisling			......well it is all over now as far as Italy and Germany are concerned. I heard the news on a wireless set not far from us, we had a bit of a sing song in our field and managed to get a barrel of wine from somewhere. That is about as far as our merry-making went. The next day we were out at work as usual and it was hard to realise that it was all over. When the Italian campaign finished guns and flares were being fired off all night by the Ities and I thought once or twice it was getting a bit dodgy, but they must have run out of ammo about 12 o/clock........there has been loads of Jerry prisoners passing here lately and we have had our cigarette ration reduced by 20 a week to give to them.........
21st May - The Americans gain ground on Okinawa in the Far East			......What do you think of all the medals they are giving away? By the time I am out of the Army I`ll have five and a clasp to the Africa Star, another year in and I would have the Territorial Long Service Medal. ..........very soon now and I will be in Venice and then I don`t know what happens.........
27th May - Fierce fighting continues on Okinawa			.....we had this Major read us extracts from the demobbing scheme and it only concerns groups 1 - 17, that is my group. He gave us the official dates of release and mine is at the end of the year. The newspapers seemed to have made a bit of a mess one way or the other in their views of the scheme and have buoyed up a lot of peoples hopes and now the official view has crashed them down.....
15th June - London. Final preparations are made by counsels for the trial of William Joyce ( Lord Haw-Haw) . He will later be found guilty and executed.			......I am out working again now and jolly hot too. We are on pipeline work and it is like the Brook, goes on forever. I will not be in the Army to see the end of it. It is certainly one way of seeing the country. It goes everywhere, through fields and hedges, along roads and under railways. Everyone reckons we have done a good job of work keeping the Eighth Army supplied with petrol........
24th June			........I spent a very nice day at the Lido in Venice a couple of days ago, It is a jolly fine place. They have opened a ferry service from the car park, we go by DUKWs (amphibious lorries) and they fairly made the old gondolier open his eyes.....the weather is still extremely hot and I am not sorry we are not working, even the old Ity knocks off between 1 o`clock and 4 o`clock for a siesta, and when they see us working through the day they think we are all barmy.....
4 July - Bombing raids continue on Japanese cities			(Shortly after writing the last letter GHL was involved in a very serious road accident - in all 22 men were injured )..........I expect you have heard from Cis by now that I am in Hospital again......every bone in my body is aching and I am blue all over. I have had the stitches taken out of my eye and having the rest out of my back and napper (head) today. I have a fractured cheek bone and I am afraid I am going to carry a nasty mark there for the rest of my life. (In fact it turned out there was no scarring thanks to the skill of the Italian surgeon who operated on him - however he failed to mention the damage caused by a 9 inch nail which penetrated his back). ....I am thankful to be alive, it has been a near squeak this time....
11th July - More than 1000 bombers attack Tokyo			......I learned today that while I was unconscious on the side of the road an Ity pinched my wallet, but one of our chaps who came on the scene saw him and I got it back later. There was about Ł3 in it and some photos. It`s a good job somebody was about, they would have had my watch and ring as well.....
21st July - An American bomber from the Marianas has simulated the delivery of an atomic bomb			........I came out of hospital yesterday and am now at the Lido, Venice for a fortnight`s convalescence. It is very good here. We are in a hospital right on the sands so we are alright for (sea) bathing....
3rd August - The blockade of Japan is completed. All Japanese harbours are mined			.....Major Dear, who is in the same group as myself reckons to be on his way home in 5 to 6 weeks time......you do not give a very rosy picture of England these days. I have read a bit about the dockers strike and the railways, etc. I should think the Labour Party will have a bit of a headache before very long.........
12th August - A second atomic bomb has been dropped. This time on Nagasaki. 40,000 people are killed			......I should be on my way home in about 5 or 6 weeks. We go to Milan and go overland by train through Paris to the coast and then across the Channel............
23rd August - VJ Day on 15th August. The War has ended			......Cis told me that Tom had got the car out again, none the worse for its long lay-up I hope. How is the petrol situation these days?.....things have been a bit hectic lately what with the War out East finishing. We had a day off and plenty of Army Orders posted up saying that although the War was over we must still put our backs into it.......
24th September			........Well, Dad, I am in my last week in the Army now, we leave here about Saturday or Sunday. I will know for certain during the week and I am keeping my eye on the Orders Board. I have got all my kit ready, all I have to do is hand in my surplus stuff and I am ready to go...........