75 years later, son finds WWII prisoner-of-war manuscripts that his father had addressed to him
It’s strange to think about how close to history we really are. Our great-grandparents were around during the roaring twenties. Their grandparents very well could have fought in the Civil War. Photographs and little scraps of paper are usually all we have left of the not-so-distant past.
When we find scraps of our history, it’s a touching reminder of the people who came before us.
Our past is worth learning about, and some stories have amazing lessons. For one man, the story of his father fighting in World War II was about to become a lot more real. One POW (prisoner of war) recorded a memoir while in a detainment camp – 75 years later and it has just surfaced.
Arthur Stiby was a Royal Artillery Major during the Great War in 1942.
Arthur fought in the war and was eventually captured by the Japanese and placed in a camp. During his time there, he experienced some of the most monstrous things imaginable. To help cope with his time spent as a prisoner, he started sketching pictures and writing plays!
When he returned to Britain, he started crafting what would later be known as a family gem.
With his vast knowledge of the recent war and intimate understandings of the pain and suffering he experienced, he started writing a story of the war through the eyes of a dog.
He would send pieces of the manuscript to his son in school, but somehow they never actually made it there.
Robert, his son, never received the scraps of manuscripts that his father sent him. It wasn’t until 75 years later that he stumbled upon them in some old dusty box.
“My father died long ago, but recently I have had time to sort out a lot of family stuff. There in a dusty old box, I found this tattered, dog-eared copy of the original, but incomplete, manuscript. I was overjoyed. Although I am no longer eight—I am now in my eighties—reading it again was such fun that I decided to publish it.”
When they published the first edition, they decided to honor the wishes of Robert.
Robert asked that the proceeds from the limited edition went towards the Salisbury Hospice. As one could imagine, the hospice was quite excited.
“A wonderful story… Local man Robert Stiby OBE uncovers the magic of his father’s POW stories written for him as a child. Now Maj Arthur Stiby’s story of ‘The Bravest Little Dog In The War’ can be told and is helping raise funds for our hospice.”
The experiences of Arthur that were passed down to Robert in story form were a gentle reminder of the people who came before us.
The copies almost immediately sold out as people were interested in the incredible story. Robert had the honor of letting others see into his and his father’s lives in a way that would add some value to them.
Robert shared, “I hope this little book will bring as bring as much enjoyment to others as it did to the grubby little schoolboy for whom it was originally written.”
Even after 75 years, some stories don’t lose their meaning.
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A wonderful story…
Local man Robert Stiby OBE uncovers the magic of his father's POW stories written for him as a child.
Now Maj Arthur Stiby's story of 'The Bravest Little Dog In The War' can be told and is helping raise funds for our hospice.More – https://t.co/w2OJ6I39r2 pic.twitter.com/IYMVjdeYis
— Salisbury Hospice (@SalisburySHC) December 16, 2020
Source: Good News Network, Salisbury Hospice Charity, Shareably
