Frome author’s telling reality of World War Two

FROME author, Alan Sandall has copies of the latest reprint of ‘Are you 17?’ for sale at Hunting Raven books. 

Alan said, “‘World on Fire’, the peak time television serial is bringing back to reality the grim days of World War Two. 

“To most Times readers this is history brought to life. Civilians in Britain were on the front line with the aerial bombing. And civilians, who from 1938, the year before the war, volunteered to join a new Auxiliary Fire Service, AFS, played a major role in fighting the horrendous “blitz” nightmares.

“Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister, called them ‘Heroes with grimy faces.’ They were men, and later women, who came from all walks of life to face the dangers.”

With this renewed spotlight, Frome author Alan Sandall who wrote Are You 17?, telling the reality from 1938 until the end in 1945, has copies of the latest reprint for sale in the Hunting Raven, Cheap Street bookshop.

“I am doing this because it is a story that must not be forgotten.” added Alan. “Many believe they saved us from defeat in 1940, when the sky was vivid red from the fires, as London and other cities were bombed incessantly. They lived and died under terrible conditions.

“Why the title ‘Are You 17’?  Because so many, like me, as a teenage boy Scout, joined the AFS, soon to become the National Fire Service, NFS, uniting all brigades, because of the immensity of the task. The majority were “part time”, a cub reporter, ready to respond when needed.”