Today marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe at the end of the Second World War - also known as VE Day. The six-year global conflict caused destruction on a scale never before seen, leading to changes that have kept the world at peace over the past eight decades.

In and amongst the horrors of warfare, there were regular people, trained as soldiers, fighting on foreign soil. These individuals each had lives they had left behind, family they may have never seen again and lovers that are lost to time.

In his powerful memoir, John Horton explores the lives of Alan and Peggy Horton, married in 1940, before Alan was shipped off to war - headed to Egypt, away from the comfort of his Glaswegian home.

John Horton’s book, Behind the Wire: A Prisoner of War in Nazi Germany, is an emotive and powerfully resonant collection of love letters - the most complete set of love letters between a husband and wife ever assembled, according to the Imperial War Museum.

Therefore, to mark this 80th VE Day, we wanted John to share his story with us, celebrating his parents and his incredible work…

I am John Horton the author of, Behind the Wire: A Prisoner of War in Nazi Germany, published by Pegasus Publishers.

My sister and I always knew that our father was a Prisoner of War (POW) in Nazi Germany after being captured by the Germans in the battle for Crete in 1941. Occasionally, Father would tell us stories about his time as a POW, but he often said very little.

It was only after both our parents had died that we began to understand the full impact of those years on their lives, as we discovered a large box of letters written between early 1940 and December 1945.

Although most of the letters were written between my parents, others were written by my grandparents, aunts and uncles. There are some from fellow officers and their families; there is correspondence between my mother and the Red Cross trying to trace my father; as well as correspondence with other wives and mothers looking for their husbands and sons.

It was only after retirement that I finally began to turn this collection of letters into a book, which Pegasus Publishers agreed to publish. These letters are essentially love letters and tell of a very private aspect of war - yet one endured by numerous couples over eighty years ago. Today, as war rages in Ukraine, many must be facing similar circumstances.

Alan and Peggy (our parents) were married in November 1940, within a month of which Father was on a ship bound for Egypt. From there he was transferred with his battery (his was a regiment of the Royal Artillery) to Crete where the allies lost the battle and prisoners were taken from Greece to Germany in cattle trucks, all suffering with dysentery. They would stop twice a day for five minutes for the men to relieve themselves!

The camps meant hunger, bitter cold, handcuffing and boredom broken by sport, gardening, concerts and study for exams.

Peggy served here in the Voluntary Aid Detachment and later in the Auxiliary Territorial Service.

Eventually Alan returned in spring 1945, injured by the Americans in a ’friendly fire’ incident. Our parents were finally together but after all the experiences of war they were different people to those who parted five years earlier. Many couples found that staying together was impossible.

However, Alan and Peggy succeeded and that early love clearly shines through in their letters.

Extracts from Behind the Wire: A Prisoner of War in Nazi Germany

Alan’s Wartime Logbook contains the following paragraph:

So, we embarked upon another journey — Spartea to Canea, Canea by JU52 to Athens — Athens by train and foot to Salonica — Salonica by train to Lubek, hunger, thirst, fleas, lice, bugs and filth. Rather unpleasant but necessary if one is to understand the meaning of “undernourishment”, “depressed areas”, “slums” and “the demoralising effects of unemployment” — just words before but real things now. 37 in cattle truck, half with dysentery and let out twice a day for 5 minutes! This journey lasted exactly 7 days and nights. At least I was experiencing life. I too had dysentery and later Jaundice. I had always craved for experiences. I was having them in plenty! Lubek was a clean but hungry camp. The thought of food dominated the mind, sleeping and waking. Slow starvation haunted the mind and stayed with us till long after the arrival at Warburg where Red Cross parcels were issued regularly.

One of the first letters from Alan to reach Peggy after the Battle of Crete in May 1941:

Prisoner No. 3275. Oflag XC - 2nd September 1941

My own Darling Peggy, how I wish I could come with this and see how you are, or better still, put the clock back a year and relive those wonderful times we had together. I shall never forget the 5th and 6th September of last year and the days round about. Since then, my adventures have been many and varied. Much must wait until I can tell you personally, but I will tell you something of our life here and what has happened to us. Peter Stebbings, Cocollis and Douglas Jones were killed, and Corbett wounded right at the beginning of our action. Please say how sorry I am to any of their people you may meet. I was taken with the Major, Captain, Towse and Clark on June 1st. Since then, I have been in various transit camps so that apart from one card which I hope you had some time ago, I have been unable to write until recently. Conditions are now reasonably pleasant. I share a room with nine others. Our compound is large and has quite a pleasant garden in it. We have a canteen where various articles of hardware can be bought and condiments, pickles, salted fish, etc. To amuse ourselves there is soccer, basket-ball, lectures and classes — we have specialists in a variety of subjects including law, accountancy and German. Time passes fairly quickly. We are paid £1.16/- every ten days which will come off my pay. Well, my beloved, I hope to hear from you soon and will write as often as I can. My thoughts are always with you, and I live only for our future.

May God bless you and keep you safe.

Your own, Alan.

The letter of a man desperately trying to discover how his son died:

Dec 16th/41 - Dear Madam,

I must ask you to excuse me in writing to you totally unknown as I am.

Recently on a visit to Elland your name was mentioned as having been in communication with Mrs Bradley and Mrs Garside who each had a son as Gunner in 234/89 A.A. Regiment, R.A. of which your husband was an officer and now unfortunately a prisoner in Germany. I had a son too, Battery Gunner John Hoyle (44158) who after Crete was reported missing and not until November, did I hear anything, when alas I received from the War Records Department the news that he was killed at Carnea, Crete on 20th May and that the Department had received information from an officer of the unit now a prisoner of war in Germany. My object in penning this note is that I would like to know a little more than the bare fact of my dear boy’s death. Such as, was it by dive bombing or otherwise? Did he suffer long, were his discs recovered, was he interred alone or in a joint burial? To thinking Mr Horton being the officer who informed of the end, I would ask if when next writing to him you would kindly name my queries. Should he not be the officer may be such an one might be in his camp. If so please ask for any information available.

My boy was a tall, well built, dark complexion. I enclose a newspaper photo (not a very good one) and paragraph. Don’t return it please, I have others and please refrain from acknowledging the receipt of this, but if any information as named is forthcoming in due course, I shall appreciate hearing from you.

Yours sincerely, Alfred Hoyle

Alan winding up Peggy whilst in Prison camp and on poor rations!

Prisoner No. 3275. Oflag VI B - 4th June 1942.

The whole room, including a barrister, are of the opinion you have given me grounds for divorce — mental cruelty! The picture of that large cream cake (was it chocolate?) has caused more mouth-watering than anything since we became gefangeners but, joking apart, my sweet I was delighted with the snaps. You look even more charming than in the last and it is easy to see how you get all the compliments.

Behind the Wire: A Prisoner of War in Nazi Germany is available now in paperback.