George Holland in the FAU

George Holland was working for Cadbury's advertising division when war broke out. Through his Quaker employers, he joined the Friends Ambulance Unit. Having been trained, he spent time in 1940 helping with civil defence and relief from bombing in London and Plymouth.

"after the war had started I felt the urge to do something constructive and had joined the Friends Ambulance Unit, where I should share something of the existence of soldiers, his dangers, thoughts and treatment, and yet maintain that fond love of the ideal life"

He comment of the incendiary bombs,  "Not very pleasant, being pepered with those things, but it was interesting."

His FAU team was in due course attached to a unit of Free French forces being transported to Lebanon to fight their Vichy compatriots. This entailed leaving in a large convoy from Glasgow into the Atlantic, then turning south and sailing around Africa, up through Suez Canal to Port Said, and by traveling by land to Beirut in 1941.

During the voyage, troops queuing for food were overheard:

"Who are these bloody blokes?"

"Oh they're f*****g objectors" - pause

"Well at least they're doin' something"

George was from there tossed by the fortunes of war in north Africa and Europe,  providing relief to soldiers at Trobruk, el-Alemein,  Tunisia, Cassino. and France. 

While in  France, he was present at the siege of La Rochelle, where a German garrison had remained, cut off by the allied advance Eastwards from Normandy.  His unit provided relief to the civilians who had suffered greatly, but the local population were hostile to the British, whom they blamed for the devasation. Ironically, after an armistice was agreed, it was German troops who protected the small group of English medics.

"I owed my life to the Germans who protected us"

George was traveling toward Germany when the war finally ended.