Men's trip to Tunisia

Last week David paid a flying visit to Tunisia, North Africa, with our younger son, Ben, and our grandson Thomas (7). They hired a car at Tunis airport and made the 500 mile round trip to Kasserine in the interior of Tunisia, near the Algerian border - the photo shows the railway station there. In February 1943 Allied soldiers fought German and Italian forces for control of Kasserine Pass, an important transport route across North Africa. The Allies suffered 10,000 casualties (killed, wounded or captured), the Germans and Italians 2000. David's father, Ernest, was one of the British soldiers captured by the Germans and he remained a prisoner of war until April 1945. The photo shows the rugged countryside over which the battle was conducted - the mountains rise to over 5000 feet and in February 1943 the soldiers encountered rain, sleet and very cold conditions. What brave men they were - on all sides - and how lucky we are that we have not been conscripted to fight in the armed forces.