Alan and Peggy Horton were married in 1940. Within a few weeks Alan was on a ship bound by a circuitous route for Egypt, a journey of two months from Glasgow. From Egypt, Alan and his men were shipped to Crete where they suffered a catastrophic defeat; many on both sides were killed. Alan, with countless others, was taken as prisoner of war by cattle truck to Germany, and imprisoned until hostilities ceased.

This correspondence has been described by The Imperial War Museum as one of the most complete sets of letters they have ever seen written between husband and wife. They recount the story of life in wartime Britain, highlighting the pain and separation of war but enlivened by love and hope for a lonely young bride. They also outline the frustrations and boredom for fighting men, forced to sit idly as the war raged with only occasional snippets of news.