I was born in North Wales in 1960, fifteen years after the end of World War II so the adults in my life had all lived through it and each had their stories to tell. However, most did not tell their stories until much later in their lives, often close to the end, so it wasn’t until I was an adult myself that I learned who these people were and what they had done and experienced.
World War II
My mother remembers seeing a V1 Flying Bomb fly overhead as she stood in a street in East Finchley, London. The V1’s and the V2 rockets were the Nazi regime’s secret weapons with which they hoped to win an advantage that was already all but lost.
On another occasion, while swimming with some friends my mother witnessed a dogfight between Allied and German aircraft high in the blue skies over London.
She also recalls a drive with her mother in the family car. In front of them was an Army lorry filled with American GIs. Their car had a retractable roof and it being a warm day the roof was open. Her mother reached for a packet of cigarettes and threw it into the back of the lorry where it was caught by one of the GIs. A resounding cheer went up and friendly waves were exchanged. On VE Day she remembers standing in a field adjacent to the A5 in Hertfordshire, waving a flag at passing motorists, some of whom had the good grace to wave back too.
Her elder sister Elizabeth was old enough to serve as a WREN during the war. One of her postings was at HMS Daedalus, an airfield on the south coast of England, now known as Solent Airport. The airfield had been attacked by Stuka diver bombers in 1940 and in 1944 it played a prominent role in the D-Day landings. It had more aircraft on that day than any other in England.
My paternal grandfather was a veteran of World War I during which he was wounded three times. He remained in the Army and by World War II he had reached the rank of Brigadier. In 1942 he was the Director of Weapons Production but was badly injured in an Air Raid while being transferred to Regimental command. After his recovery he was posted to R.E.M.E. (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) as O.C. (Officer Commanding) in No.4 Base Works Shops in Cairo.
All of his sons were in uniform during World War II and my father, already a boy soldier in the Royal Artillery, was mobilised for war on 1st September 1939. In 1942 he was posted to India where he served in the 20th Indian Division, 14th Army, in Assam and North Burma, 1943-45. He had an aptitude for art and while there he sketched whatever was in view. After three bouts of malaria he was sent home in April 1945.
In those years immediately after the war my father worked as a deckhand aboard Thames barges while developing his artistic skills at the Royal College of Art. While visiting his father at his home in Angmering, the barge on which he lived and worked sank at its moorings leaving him with nothing but the clothes he was wearing and an overnight bag.
Eventually he found digs at a friend’s flat. One day, the telephone rang, the friend answered and the caller asked if he knew of anyone who would be suitable for a position working at the bar of the Portmeirion Hotel in North Wales. The friend informed the caller that he had a lodger who might fit the bill. And so it was that my father made his way to North Wales in the early 1950s where he met my mother who was already working there as a receptionist. By that time, the Portmeirion Hotel was an established luxury hotel and the centrepiece of the Italianate village of Portmeirion, created by architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis.
Thus a meeting became a marriage and a family of four children came into being. When I came into the world in 1960 my parents were already firm friends with another English couple, Micky and Mary, who lived in the cottage Beudy Gwyn, close to the hotel.
Mary & Richard
Mary Booker was born in 1897 in Petropolis, Brazil. Her mother, Ada Harriot Yeats, was a first cousin of W.B. Yeats. By the outbreak of World War II she was a divorcee with two daughters. She was described as beautiful, charming, and modest.
In 1941, Mary met Richard Hillary, the Battle of Britain pilot and author of The Last Enemy (published in the U.S. as Falling Through Space). Hillary, then 22, had survived severe burns after being shot down in the North Sea in 1940 and fished out of the waters by the Margate lifeboat. He was burnt on his face and hands and underwent pioneering plastic surgery under Archibald McIndoe who was later to be knighted for his services to surgery.
Mary and Richard were introduced by a mutual acquaintance, the famous actress Merle Oberon, and their meeting sparked a year-long romantic relationship during 1942. At 44, Mary was exactly twice Hillary’s age and had recently become a grandmother, but this age difference did nothing to hinder their romance. After Mary’s death in 1974, Micky discovered a collection of love letters that Mary had kept and which he used to tell their story in the book Mary and Richard (1988).
The book came to the attention of the film director Sydney Pollack, who had recently enjoyed great success with the film Out of Africa, starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. Pollack bought the film rights to the book and for a time it was rumored that the story of Mary and Richard would be told on screen with Meryl Streep playing the lead. The script reached the second stage of drafting but sadly nothing came of it and to this day the script remains hidden from our view.
She became my godmother and I knew her as Mary ‘Boo’. When my parents or mother took me to see her and Micky, my mother might buy a gift, like a box of chocolates, to give to her and she would write me thank you letters, a few of which I still possess. I have fond memories of her warmth, laughter, and kindness. She died in 1974 when I was still only 14 years old.
Micky Burn
Michael Burn’s life story is best understood by reading his autobiography, Turned Towards the Sun: An Autobiography, published in 2003. He led a fascinating life and there isn’t space here to recount but a fraction of it.
In the 1930s, Michael Burn was a journalist, the foreign correspondent for The Times, reporting from Europe during a period of rising political tension. His assignments included covering the Spanish Civil War and reporting from Germany, where he witnessed the Nazi regime’s growing influence.
During the 1930s, no one had any idea what was about to happen in the next ten years. The Holocaust, the camps, all death and destruction were yet to come. Information, and the opinions and decisions it generated, was gleaned from books, newspapers, and the radio, or by visiting and witnessing for oneself.
So it was that Micky was in Munich in August 1935, on assignment for The Times. He had both a personal and professional interest in what was happening in Germany and for a short time he was caught up in the glamour of it all before he came to his senses.
In August 1935 he was having lunch in a restaurant with the infamous Nazi sympathiser Unity Mitford. Into the restaurant walked Adolf Hitler and his adjutants. Micky, who spoke both German and French, went up to Hitler’s table and introduced himself. A little later Unity Mitford did likewise and returned to their table to inform Micky that ‘Hitler knew he was an Englishman. He could always tell the difference between an Englishman and an American’. Micky was to meet Hitler a second time during which he signed Micky’s copy of Mein Kampf. Micky lost the book that very same day.
Initially intrigued by fascism’s spectacle, Burn briefly joined a 1936 march in Rome, but his experiences in Berlin, particularly seeing Jews forced to scrub streets and a visit to a labour camp, prompted a profound rejection of Nazism.
In his autobiography, Micky writes,
“My mix of ignorance, blindness, and semi-criminal benevolence, let loose in a world of intensely organised falsehood, turned me into a dupe.I chose to believe that the labour camps were part of Hitler’s ‘solving of unemployment’.”
Having renounced both Nazism and Communism, Micky embraced democratic principles and eventually volunteered to serve as a Marine Commando, and this is how he came to take part in Operation Chariot.
St. Nazaire, 1942
By 1942, Britain had faced significant setbacks, including the fall of France and the Dunkirk evacuation. Although the Battle of Britain had been won in the summer of 1940 it was but a brief reprieve from ongoing expansion by the Nazis. The Battle of the Atlantic was at a critical juncture in 1942, with German U-boats and surface raiders inflicting heavy losses on Allied shipping. By denying the Germans a major repair base on the French coast, the British aimed to reduce the Kriegsmarine’s ability to sustain prolonged operations, thereby safeguarding vital supply lines. In 1941 alone, German U-boats sank over 4.3 million tons of Allied shipping, underscoring the urgency of limiting German naval capabilities.
Operation Chariot, the British raid on St Nazaire on 28 March 1942, was a daring and strategically significant operation during the Second World War. The primary objective was to disable the Normandie dry dock, the only facility on the Atlantic coast capable of accommodating Germany’s largest warships, such as the Tirpitz. By neutralising this dock, the British aimed to disrupt German naval operations and protect Allied convoys in the Atlantic.
To achieve this primary objective, a British destroyer, HMS Campbeltown, was disguised as a German destroyer. A secret compartment was constructed in the bows and it was packed with high explosives timed to detonate the morning after the ship had been lodged into the dry dock.
The raid involved 611 personnel, primarily Commandos and Royal Navy sailors. HMS Campbeltown was rammed into the dock gates, while Commandos leapt ashore to attack the supporting infrastructure, such as pump houses and lock mechanisms. Despite fierce German resistance, the dock was rendered inoperable for the remainder of the war, achieving the primary objective. However, the cost was high: 169 British personnel were killed, and 215 were captured, with only 222 returning to Britain having made their escape.
Micky was in command of an assault group accompanying the destroyer. His boat took a direct hit but he managed to make it ashore where he pressed on with the attack. Eventually he ran out of ammunition and he was cornered and captured. His action that day resulted in the award of a Military Cross immediately after the war.
The following morning he was marched at gunpoint through the streets of St. Nazaire. The Germans, unaware that the ship was packed with high explosives, were in high spirits having captured many of the enemy and believed that the British had failed. A German newsreel crew captured the moment and Micky, aware that the footage would be displayed in cinemas and therefore seen by agents working for the Allies, gave a discreet V for victory sign with the two fingers of his right hand.
Meanwhile, the explosives in HMS Camptbeltown eventually exploded and disabled the dock for the rest of the war. The primary objective of the mission was a success.
Baroness Ella van Heemstra
A few weeks later the footage being marched at gunpoint was on screen in a Harrlem cinema in occupied Holland. Sitting in the audience was Baroness Ella van Heemstra, who recognised Micky immediately.
Baroness Ella van Heemstra and Micky were friends and possibly lovers before the war. She too flirted with fascism during the 1930s but with the invasion of her homeland and as the war progressed she saw the consequences of Nazism for herself and eventually renounced it and became a supporter of the Dutch resistance.
Such was her surprise at seeing her old friend in such circumstances she cried out, “That’s Micky!” and grabbed the leg of a German officer in the seat next to her. Fortunately for her the officer didn’t understand her exclamation and made nothing of it.
Micky spent the rest of the war as a POW in Colditz Castle. The Baroness, having recognised him in the German newsreel, managed to track him down and was able to supply him with a Red Cross parcel.
Liberation and a Kindness Returned
After the liberation, Micky was repatriated and living in London. Although the war was over life on the continent was far from normal for millions of people. There were dire shortages of food and medicine in the Netherlands and the Baroness was deeply concerned for the welfare of her daughter who was very ill. They were surviving on tulip bulbs which they ground up for flour during the “Hunger Winter” of 1945.
In desperation she wrote to Micky in London, imploring him to send food and cigarettes which she could trade on the black market for medicines for her daughter. Naturally, Micky was eager to help his old friend and return the kindness she had shown him when he was in captivity. He sent her food and the cigarettes and sure enough, the medicines were acquired and the daughter survived. The daughter grew into a young woman and started taking ballet lessons. She also did some modelling and eventually became an actress. Her name was Audrey Hepburn.
Once fully grown, Ella accompanied Audrey to London, where Audrey trained in ballet, and later to the United States and Switzerland. Ella lived with friends in Los Angeles and San Francisco in the 1960s, engaging in volunteer work for Vietnam War soldiers, and spent her final years at Audrey’s home in Tolochenaz, Switzerland, where she died in 1984. She was named Dame of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem in 1971, reflecting her later contributions to charitable causes.
Audrey Hepburn’s screen career, spanning 1948 to 1989, began with a modest, uncredited role as a stewardess in the Dutch film Dutch in Seven Lessons at age 19, while she pursued ballet in London. Her early bit parts in British comedies like The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) and a supporting role in The Secret People (1952) showcased her charm, leading to her Broadway breakthrough as Gigi in 1951.
Her Hollywood debut in Roman Holiday (1953) won her an Oscar for Best Actress, establishing her as a star. Through the 1950s, she captivated audiences in films like Sabrina (1954), Funny Face (1957), and The Nun’s Story (1959), blending romantic comedy, drama, and musicals with her unique elegance and Givenchy-styled sophistication, earning critical acclaim and a distinct place in cinema’s evolving portrayal of femininity.
The 1960s marked Hepburn’s peak with iconic roles in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), where she immortalised Holly Golightly, and Charade (1963), a stylish thriller with Cary Grant. She shone in My Fair Lady (1964) despite vocal dubbing controversies and earned another Oscar nomination for the suspenseful Wait Until Dark (1967). After 1967, Hepburn prioritised family, returning selectively for Robin and Marian (1976), the poorly received Bloodline (1979), and They All Laughed (1981).
Audrey Hepburn’s last film was Always (1989), directed by Steven Spielberg. In this romantic drama, she played the role of Hap, an angelic figure who guides the protagonist, Pete Sandich (played by Richard Dreyfuss), a firefighter pilot who dies in a plane crash. Hap’s role, though brief, is pivotal, offering spiritual guidance with Hepburn’s characteristic grace and warmth.
The film, a remake of the 1943 movie A Guy Named Joe, marked a poignant close to Hepburn’s acting career, as she transitioned to focus on her humanitarian work with UNICEF shortly thereafter. Her appearance in Always was her final on-screen performance, and she passed away in 1993, leaving a legacy of elegance and compassion.
Audrey Hepburn remains an icon who continues to be a bright beacon of influence. She has been embraced by the TikTok and social media generation where her clips and distinctive voice are viewed and heard by thousands of people.
Epilogue
I last saw Micky during a visit to his cottage in Wales in 2010. By then he was frail having suffered a stroke but he summoned the energy to read us a poignant and touching poem he wrote about Mary. He died a few months later at the age of 97.
Obituaries for Michael “Micky” Burn MC appeared in The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, and several other newspapers, magazines, and websites.
The story of Operation Chariot has been told in several books and TV documentaries. There is one, narrated by Jeremy Clarkson, that you can watch for free on YouTube. Micky appears at about the 45:35 mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07Zd0Oy8JyQ
Micky Burn’s recollections of captivity in Colditz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HovLAEPHc1Y
A small film company made a documentary about Micky’s life. Turn Towards the Sun film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3yeNcvSqa8
Military Cross
Captain Michael Burn, 6 troop, was awarded the Military Cross for gallant and distinguished service during Operation Chariot, the raid at St Nazaire 28 March 1942. He was in charge of the commando contingent on board motor launch ML 192.
Citation:On 28th March 1942, during the Commando Raid at St. Nazaire, France. Captain Burn was in command of an Assault Group. Following a direct hit on the motor launch carrying his Group, the ship was put out of action and most of his Assault Group were killed or wounded. Captain Burn, after being nearly drowned and pulled ashore by one of his men, quickly recovered and proceeded alone to his objective after ascertaining that these gun positions were not in action. Entirely alone he carried out the destruction of these positions, setting them on fire with incendiaries. He continued causing enemy casualties with hand grenades until all his ammunition was expended, when he was taken prisoner. This action of Captain Burn’s showed his determination to carry out his task although his men were out of action; his courage and initiative being an example deserving the highest praise.
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