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Sojourn in Silesia: 1940 - 1945
 
 

Sojourn in Silesia: 1940 - 1945 [Kindle Edition]

Arthur Charles Evans CBE , Kathy Gower , Jo Harrison , Mark Gower , Pat McNeil
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

Print List Price: £12.99
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Product Description

Product Description

Arthur Charles Evans was born in 1916 in the Wirral, Cheshire, England. The first years of his employment were at Lever Bros, soapworks at Port Sunlight, and then with the New Zealand Shipping Company. One voyage to Australia and then another to New Zealand convinced him he was not meant to be a sailor. To further his ambition to become a policeman, he enlisted in the Irish Guards in 1936. In May 1940, he was wounded and taken prisoner in Boulogne and spent the remainder of the war in prison camps in Upper Silesia. He returned to England in May 1945 and upon demobilisation, joined the Kent County Constabulary. Whilst still a Police Constable, and from 1956-1967 he was the General Secretary of the Police Federation for England and Wales, and it was in this capacity that he was appointed C.B.E. He was married to his wife Freda for 62 years, and they have 3 daughters. He retired aged 65, and spent much of his time gardening, bowling and cooking in his Kent home, and in later years caring for Freda. In March 2010, both Arthur and Freda moved into a local nursing home and where sadly Arthur passed away 3 days short of his 95th birthday. Freda remains in the good care of the nursing home.

Profit from the sale of this book will be donated to The British Red Cross at the expressed wish of Arthur in the days before he died. He never forgot their role in his survival during his imprisonment.

Synopsis

Arthur Evans CBE served in the Irish Guards during WWII, but was captured the first day he arrived in France and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner, working in coal mines in Silesia.

Product details

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 724 KB
  • Print Length: 130 pages
  • Publisher: Arthur Evans CBE; 4 edition (23 Jun 2011)
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B0058KTHL0
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • X-Ray: Not Enabled
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #94,084 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Sojourn in Silesia: 1940 - 1945 12 July 2011
Format:Kindle Edition
I read this in one go - once I had started I couldn't put it down. I cried more than once but also, despite the subject matter, laughed out loud in several places. Arthurs writing is lovely and the description of the conditions, the scenery and the unlikely "friendships" that were made during his time in captivity are amazing. I believe this is a book for everyone and, as there are sadly so few of our heroes left, will soon be the way to come anywhere near understanding how tough things were and how clueless and lucky we are today. I have thought about Arthur and his comrades in someway everyday since I read this book.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Gentelman Hero 16 April 2012
By Steve B
Format:Kindle Edition
It is difficult to imagine the terror of being held captive during WW2, we all now know how it all ended, but at the time prisoners of war didn't. Waking up every morning thinking that it could be you last, must take a massive toll on your health and well-being. To have to sustain this for 5 years is imaginable to me, but Arthur did and still managed to keep his perspective on life.

What I soon grasped when reading his own account of WW2, was that Arthur was a gentleman first and a soldier second. His respect for his fellow inmates and even of some of his enemies shone through. He did what he had to do to survive which must have been soul destroying at times, especially having to work down a dark and dangerous mine.

Other people did play a part in keeping Arthur's spirit up, mainly the odd letters from home and the amazing work of the Red-Cross, along with people from his home town who aided this support.

His family are entitled to feel honoured to have been part of the life of this Gentleman Hero.

Read this book and count your blessings, I know I did.

Sojourn in Silesia: 1940 - 1945
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Sojourn in Silesia 18 Mar 2012
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
My father was in the N.African desert during WW2 and never said much about it. Everyone should read books like this to know what really happened. I never knew men were so reliant on Red Cross parcels. An evocative book which I read in a day.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly interesting!
I got this title via an Army (British) online forum after reading some info on the content.

Not my normal read (though I am an avid military history buff), I found this... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. Roger Morris
5.0 out of 5 stars Book Review: Sojourn In Silesia 1940-1945 - Arthur Evans CBE
I was honoured to be asked to review this book by my RISI and Facebook friend Jo Harrison, Arthur Evans granddaughter, who is the editor of this story. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Booketta
5.0 out of 5 stars couldn't put it down
When I downloaded this book I wasn't sure that I would like it as its not my usual type of book. Started reading it on the train going to work and after the first few pages was... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Joanne
5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant and Compelling
I am not an avid reader and can't remember the last time I read a book from cover to cover. I reluctantly began this one, fearing that it would end up the same way as all the rest... Read more
Published 12 months ago by MRS LOUISE GRUDGINGS
5.0 out of 5 stars A deeply felt and beautifully written book about life as a POW
A wonderful book very different from any previous book I have read by a former POW. The author kept his humanity and interest in people, both his fellow POW and the Germans he... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Voyager
5.0 out of 5 stars Most enjoyable!
I read this book after it was recommended to me. Most enjoyable with tears in my eyes, probably on more than one occasion. Read more
Published 13 months ago by pjred
5.0 out of 5 stars Very compelling first hand account of WW2 POW experience
Sojourn in Silesia, by Arthur Charles Evans, CBE, is a first-rate first-hand account of one Prisoner-of-War's experiences during the length of World War Two. Read more
Published 14 months ago by terrylm
5.0 out of 5 stars A very readable account of hardship overcome
A very readable story of one man's account of being a prisoner of war. The pressures, anxieties and comradeship. Read more
Published on 22 Nov 2004
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