At War with My Father Fred Howe (Paperback)

Lynette Ramsay Silver

ISBN 10: 1863515011 / ISBN 13: 9781863515016

Published by Sally Milner Publishing Pty Ltd, Binda, 2023

About this Item

Paperback. It is June 2008, and I am on a hillside overlooking the NSW country town of Boorowa. It is a long time since I felt any need to visit the cemetery, but today I have come to talk to my father. My research on the notorious BurmaThai railway, where he was a POW has brought me to this moment. For the past 13 years I have been following my fathers war time footsteps as a way of understanding him as a person and intern understanding myself. Sergeant Fred Howe struggles to stay conscious. A hundred needles from the barbed wire securing him to the tree pierce his bony body; cigarette burns inflicted by his tormentors sting his bare skin; the hot tropical sun escalates his thirst and hunger tears at his gut. In his lucid moments, Fred ponders his decision to enlist. After all, he was 34 years of age at the time, a married man and father to four children. He wonders how much longer he can last, both physically and mentally. Will the war soon be over and those who have made it thus far be on their way home, or will it drag on until not a single one of them survives? As a young girl I had no understanding of the war. All Dad had ever told me was that, during the fighting his mates had been shot and killed on either side of him. At the age I was then, this didnt mean much to me. I just didnt understand. I never asked any questions, so I received no answers answers that I would come to crave. I now realise why, for so much of my life, I have been at war with my father, literally and by following in his footsteps. I am also finally understanding the degree to which his experiences impacted our relationship. Fred Howe was a prisoner of war for more than three years. I have been a virtual prisoner for sixty. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781863515016

Bibliographic Details

• Title: At War with My Father Fred Howe (Paperback)
• Publisher: Sally Milner Publishing Pty Ltd, Binda
• Publication Date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1863515011
• ISBN 13: 9781863515016
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

It is June 2008, and I am standing on a hillside overlooking the NSW country town of Boorowa. It has been a long time since I felt any need to visit the cemetery, but today I have come to talk to my father. My research on the notorious Burma–Thai Railway, where he was a POW, has led me to this moment. For the past thirteen years I have been following my father’s wartime footsteps as a way of understanding him as a person―and in turn, understanding myself.

Sergeant Fred Howe struggles to stay conscious. A hundred barbs from the wire binding him to the tree pierce his thin frame; cigarette burns inflicted by his tormentors sting his bare skin; the hot tropical sun deepens his thirst; and hunger twists in his gut.

In his lucid moments, Fred questions his decision to enlist. He had been thirty-four years old, a married man with four children. How much longer can he endure―physically or mentally? Will the war soon end and allow the survivors to return home, or will it drag on until none of them remain?

As a young girl, I had no understanding of the war. All Dad ever told me was that, during the fighting, his mates had been shot and killed on either side of him. At that age, I could not grasp the weight of those words. I never asked questions, so I received no answers―answers I would come to desperately crave.

I now realise why, for so much of my life, I have been at war with my father―both literally and by following in his footsteps. I am finally beginning to understand the extent to which his experiences shaped our relationship.

Fred Howe was a prisoner of war for more than three years.
I have been a virtual prisoner for sixty.

About the Author

Lynette Ramsay-Silver is a military historian, the author of a number of books on Australian history. In 2003 Lynette received a Defense Forces Commendation and Medal from Special Operations Command Australia, for her work during the 60th Anniversary of Operation Jaywick, the first civilian ever to receive this prestigious award. She has been awarded an OAM,OBE and MBE in recognition of Lynette's services to Australian and British Servicemen.