A Heap Good Soldier Man

Posted to Malaya on National Service, Gerry Clifton endured jungle patrols in intensely difficult conditions, under constant attack from ruthless guerrilla fighters and bloodsucking leeches. It was a far cry from his former cosy world of an antiques shop in southern England, yet he adapted - and survived. The sense of camaraderie in the Army comes across strongly in this very personal account, loosely fictionalised, and Gerry describes his fellow soldiers in colourful, unvarnished terms - especially Smudger, a rough diamond and best friend to this day. In this exotic setting, Gerry found himself a hit with the ladies - several of them married. Hauled up before his Colonel on more than one occasion, his roguish sense of humour helped him out of a few sticky situations. An unlikely alliance with a practising headhunter from Borneo helped Gerry survive the dangerous jungle patrols time and again. He successfully hit back at the enemy, earning himself the DCM and the MM for his conduct in the field. Yet the horrors of war are graphically described in an incident which has haunted Gerry ever since. Wounded on his final patrol, Gerry returned to the antiques trade, taking pride in his record as a gentleman and a soldier.