The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A 93-year-old South Holland World War Two veteran has become a published author without even knowing.
Eric Houldershaw (93), now of Moulton but originally from Gosberton Clough, had no idea his daughter Pat Moore and husband Chris were planning a book of his memories of the conflict.
But they, together with Sue Palmer, who transcribed Eric’s 1,600 hand written words, have published “Country Lad to Solider’.
The book opens in 1939 with Eric explaining he first heard about being at war aged 13 on his way to Sunday School in Quadring Fen.
Three years later he was in that village’s Home Guard which was based in The Red Cow hotel in Donington and frequently manned a guard post at Evison’s Bridge close to where he was born on Hundred Fen.
He was called up in April 1944 and with the Lincolnshire Regiment fought in Belgium, Holland and into Germany before a post war stint in Israel.
On his return to the country he worked for 50 years in agriculture before deciding to write of the horrors and often also darkly funny experiences he and his colleagues endured.
Eric now lives with Peggy, his wife of over 65 years, at Abbygate Care Home in Moulton.
The book costs £3 and is available at Bookmark in Spalding.
Daughter Pat said: “I’m really proud of him. He’s 93 but he’s still sharp in the mind.
“What they had to go through is just unbelievable.”
“He was taken aback when we showed him the book and really pleased,” Chris added. “What he’d written is absolutely fascinating.”
