In addition to his other publications, Dr Wilkie has written about his uncle Edgar Wilkie who died in Japan as a prisoner of war in 1945.

All of 28 and More, The Diary of Edgar Wilkie

The following is an excerpt from the introduction.

"Sun. 27 May (1945): Here it is again, 4th (birthday anniversary) as a prisoner of war,
and I certainly feel all of 28 and more".

These were the last words Private Lesley Edgar George Wilkie wrote in his
personal diary. Forty-five days later, he died in a prison camp at Usui, Kyushu,
Japan. After the war ended, Norman Chant, the soldier in the next bed, sent
the diary through the Red Cross to Edgar's mother.

Edgar was the older brother of my father, Colin Wilkie. As a child I knew of
Edgar's existence, because my brother had been named after him. I knew little
more. I think my father never spoke to me about Edgar when I was younger
because of the hurt he himself experienced from reopening old wounds. My
grandmother Ruth's prolonged grief was the focus of discussion instead of
Edgar himself. His loss compounded her grieving for her husband Lesley who
had died unexpectedly only four years before.

When I was about forty years old, increasing curiosity about Edgar led me to
ask to see his diary. Carefully unwrapping the deteriorating faded yellowed
pages with their meticulously penciled notes, I began to search for the uncle I
had never met. I was pleasantly surprised to find that photocopying made the
pencil marks easier to read. And when I read his last diary entry, I wept.

You are welcome to download a copy of a section of this book. (Acrobat PDF file)

 

 

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