Childhood, War and Peace

About the Book

What happens when you graduate from high school and find yourself away from your family in a strange country, at the outbreak of war? You are faced with a life for which no one is prepared and every day is fraught with new dangers.

This is the true story written to record the story of a brave, intelligent human being faced with extraordinary circumstances and surviving. As WWII engulfed his homeland it is a tale of one man's heroic attempts to rid his beloved Holland of its invaders and is fascinating reading. His amazing and death-defying exploits make most war stories (however sensational) pale by comparison.

Well-written, it flows from one harrowing incident to another, taking us with him from Java to a soon to be occupied Holland, to neutral Sweden where he swims ashore from the deck of a Dutch freighter. Sent to Britain, he receives special training and is parachuted back into Holland as an operative of the Special Forces-Netherlands with the task of organizing resistance and sabotage.

His exploits as a saboteur are amazing, sometimes hilarious yet deadly serious, such as when he sets a train in motion in Germany and watches it disappear into the distance with nobody on board. Late in the war he is taken as a prisoner into Germany, forced to work but discovers new opportunities to sabotage the enemy.

As the war in Europe ends, unable to adjust to boring peacetime jobs, he goes east to Ceylon to battle the Japanese. Finally, a lovely bride helps him adjust to normal life, a family and success in Canada, where he now lives happily in retirement. This true story beats a "who-done-it" any day. A really great "read" and an illuminating glimpse of what it was really like to be at war.

About the Author

I have known Len for over 30 years as a Rotarian as well as a fellow member of the Sidney Probus Club during that time.

I played bridge with him and more importantly have been fortunate enough to spend many hours with him fishing in Brentwood Bay. As young men we both spent several years in the European theatre of World War 2. And yet never did he give any indication of his experiences there or his exciting months as an operative with the Special Forces. In December 1946 Len received the Military Cross, an honour awarded to him as the only member of the Royal Netherlands forces for valour in the field. He must have been very proud, but still no word about it!

He is a self-disciplined man, meticulously prepared for any eventuality. A planner always ready and able to stand up for his opinions, a Strong Character. I suppose I should not have been surprised this year to read his biography about his determined efforts to help his beloved country strive for freedom and eventual release from the Nazi occupation of Holland.

I feel very fortunate to have spent time with Len and consider him a good friend. He is an unusual man in my opinion, quite unsung.

Jim Lang-Ex-RAF