Dishonoured heroes
From Dennis Outwin Sir: Anthony Daniels's review of Dr Mayhew's book The Reconstruction of Warriors (Books, 4 September) omits to mention Sir Archibald McIndoe's most famous patient, Richard Hillaty, author of The Last Enemy, a Battle of Britain classic.
Hillary was an incredibly handsome young man, but when he was shot down in September 1940 his face was so horribly burnt that the nurse at McIndoe's hospital burst into tears. McIndoe patched him up, and he persuaded the RAF to let him fly again. For the second time he was shot down, this time fatally.
Mr Daniels asks whether the present generation would be capable of similar sacrifices. Those of us who fought in the war might feel that it is not a question we can answer. In many cases we had our careers blighted. When we came back after six years we were told regretfully that we were now too old. The clerk who became a squadron leader was expected to go back to being a clerk, while his old colleagues who managed to avoid the services had shot up the promotion ladder.
Churchill in his memoirs wrote that ours was the finest generation that Britain had ever produced. It was nice of him to say so, but fine words butter no parsnips.
Dennis Outwin
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
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