Letters in a Suitcase offers a captivating window into the daily lives of three siblings – Muriel, Dorothy, and Douglas Heelas – during the tumultuous 1930s to 1950s, with a focus on the years from 1939 to 1948.

Follow Douglas as he embarks on a remarkable journey, leaving school to join the army amidst the backdrop of World War II. From the British Expeditionary Forces in France to a chance encounter with Noel Coward and Leslie Howard in Paris, and the fateful Dunkirk evacuation, his experiences are nothing short of gripping. A harrowing shipwreck, capture by Japanese forces, and years as a prisoner of war in Thailand and Burma make for a truly extraordinary narrative.

Meanwhile, Dorothy’s wartime service in the Auxiliary Territorial Service takes her from England to the far reaches of Southeast Asia. Her vivid letters recount her adventures, from dining at Government House in Singapore with Lord Louis Mountbatten to her subsequent assignment in the Central Mediterranean Forces in Italy.

And not to be overlooked, Muriel, the music teacher, plays her own role in this compelling family saga, teaching in various locations including Broadstairs, St. Albans, and Switzerland.

In Letters in a Suitcase, their correspondence unveils a poignant tapestry of 20th-century British social history, offering a unique perspective on the trials and triumphs of a remarkable era.

The product of over thirty years of research, largely based on the extensive but little used original records of the various London insurance companies, this book examines the history of insurance company fire brigades in London during the period from their formation in 1680 until their gradual amalgamation into a single body from 1833.

It concentrates on a subject which has received little previous attention and is thought to be the first work that specifically focuses on the insurance firemen and porters of the period in London.

Detail is provided of the management and operation of the different fire establishments and the working lives of their employees. Many examples are provided of specific incidents and individuals, bringing to light the service that these men rendered to their community, often at great personal risk to themselves, many of them suffering injury or death in the course of their work.

The book should appeal to both general readers, those interested in local and social history, particularly of London, and those with an interest in the history of fire and other emergency services.