Regret to Inform You

Gordon Hurley and the crew of HR846, a Halifax bomber, had to parachute out when they were shot down over Germany, in August 1943. F/Sgt Hurley was a radio operator on that night; they were pathfinders on their final approach over Berlin. Thirty-five years later Gordon was clearing out his recently deceased Aunt's house when he found a collection of letters at the bottom of an old leather suitcase. Thinking they were personal he did not read them, but he did not like to just throw them away either. In 2007 Gordon came across the letters again and this time he decided to read them. Gordon was amazed to find they were the colection of letters and telegrams reporting him missing; letters from family and friends and letters announcing that he had been found as a prisoner of war. This book reproduces those letters in facsimile. You can now read these fascinating documents and see how the story unfolds. How families received the most dreaded news in war time Britain, the letters of support, and the news that Gordon was still alive, well and being held as a prisoner of war. But that's another story.