It tells the story of the author’s maternal grandfather, Australian bomber pilot Harold ‘Hank’ Hancock, who flew a Handley Page Halifax on thirty-six missions over Nazi-occupied Europe. For the three decades after he returned from the war, Flight Lieutenant Hancock struggled with alcoholism, depression and undiagnosed PTSD before experiencing a mid-life breakdown and entering rehab.
In 1975, and having achieved sobriety, Hancock and his wife flew to England to attend the 30th Anniversary Reunion of Bomber Command veterans in York. However, they first travelled to Warwick to reunite with members of his crew – three Australians and four Englishmen – at the home of bomb aimer Les ‘Dutch’ Holland. From there, they embarked on a one-week tour of the airfields from which they had operated in 1944-1945. This was, poignantly, their ‘last op’ together; Dutch Holland was dying of terminal cancer and would not survive the year.
On the 80th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War, Alex is conscious that the story of his grandfather is not unique; he is keen to hear of the experiences of other veterans and their families, with a view to setting his family’s darker inheritance in a wider social context. In so doing, he hopes to challenge one of the last unspoken taboos of World War Two: the price that Allied veterans continued to pay, in terms of their mental and emotional health, upon their return to civilian life after VE Day.
Groups 10+ and NMA Friends please call our team on 01283 245 100 to book using your discounted rate. NMA Friends are entitled to two tickets at the discounted rate per active membership.
In 2025 the National Memorial Arboretum will be reflecting upon and remembering the significant events that brought about the end of the Second World War and marking the anniversaries of both VE and VJ Day.
The Year Was 1945, a series of exhibitions, events, services, talks and tours will open a window in time to 1945, sharing the stories of those who lived and served 80 years ago.
