The Staten House The Man I Knew as Grandad

The Man I Knew as Grandad is a moving family memoir that uncovers the hidden wartime life of Arthur Hemmings, a quiet mechanic, husband, father, and grandfather who rarely spoke of the suffering he endured during the Second World War.To his family, Arthur was simply Grandad: steady, practical, and reserved. Yet behind his silence was a remarkable story of service, capture, hardship, escape, and survival. Enlisting in the British Army in 1940, Arthur was sent overseas and eventually found himself caught in the chaos of North Africa. When Tobruk fell in June 1942, he became one of thousands of Allied soldiers taken prisoner. But Arthur did not remain where he was placed. He escaped into the desert, endured nine days on the run, and was later recaptured before being transported to Italy.Through military records, personal letters, family memories, and visits to the places where Arthur was once held, Dawn Hemmings pieces together the story her grandad never fully told. From Campo 65 in southern Italy to Campo 145 in the mountains, the book follows Arthur's journey through captivity, hunger, uncertainty, and eventual escape after Italy's surrender.This is not only a war story. It is also a deeply personal act of remembrance. Dawn travels to Italy to stand where Arthur once stood, to understand the places that shaped him, and to preserve the truth before it fades from family memory. The result is a tender and powerful tribute to an ordinary man who lived through extraordinary circumstances.Blending historical context with intimate family reflection, The Man I Knew as Grandad gives voice to a generation of men who often carried their experiences in silence. It is a story of endurance, love, courage, and the lasting importance of remembering those who came before us.