Marjory Francis

Kiss Old Hitler?: The story of a Cambridge family during World War Two Marjory Francis

Ordinary people, extraordinary times



May 1940

Up to his chest in seawater, surrounded by floating body parts, and attacked by German planes, Fred distracted himself by thinking of his family at home. But his thoughts inevitably returned to Angele, the beautiful French girl he had met and fallen in love with in autumn 1939. 'I could almost kiss old Hitler for what he's done for me' he wrote to his sister Amy. But that was before he had to run for his life towards Dunkirk, and now would he and Angele ever see each other again?

And what of the rest of the family? How would Mum Nell, Dad Jim, sisters Ida and Amy, and brother Basil fare in this terrible war?