A NORMANDY veteran has chronicled his wartime experiences in a novel which he hopes will be published.

World War Two D-Day seaman Jack Culshaw, who was featured in the Citizen last week, has spent three years researching and writing First in Last Out, which is based on his war-time encounters.

It follows the trials and tribulations of fictitious character Jim Clegg, a naive 18-year-old who is transformed into a hardened and sometimes ruthless survivor as the war unfolds.

Mr Culshaw of Churchgate Street, Old Harlow, decided to write his novel after contacting naval friend Jim Jarman, who was researching his own factual book on World War Two landing craft.

"We both decided to write during our retirement and wanted to get in touch with anybody with information about the war and about barges," said the 74-year-old veteran.

"Not many people know much about landing craft so we appealed for other members of the Landing Craft Association to get in touch and swap details."

Now the talented veteran hopes to see his riveting experiences transformed into a book. He is waiting to hear from a London publisher who is poring over his transcript.

"Ninety-nine per cent of the story is true. It's been a lot of fun reliving my memories. It would be nice if it could be enjoyed by future generations," he said.

"I telephoned six publishers and one seemed interested. He wanted to see a copy of the transcript. I'm not putting all my eggs in one basket but I'm certainly keeping my fingers crossed!"

Last In First Out follows the main character as he endures the terrors of a sea journey to Normandy in an unstable, overloaded barge, before taking part in D-Day with the rest of the allied forces.

In one part of the transcript, Mr Culshaw reveals his own feelings after reaching the coast of Normandy.

It reads: "For those who had reached the coast in the early morning after surviving an horrendous sea journey and experiencing the barrage of sound and the events of the day, an exhausting quietness emerged.

"Drained of energy by the harrowing nightmare of the last 48 hours, young men who yesterday laughed and joked with each other had aged and matured.

"Their exhausted bodies sagged. Their lined faces did not have to speak. Their eyes told a story only their compatriots would understand."

His account goes on to tell of many tortuous and hair-raising adventures before the main character is ship-wrecked and rescued. Back on dry land on the French coast, he becomes romantically linked with a beautiful French girl but their relationship has an unexpected twist at the end of the book.

The talented wordsmith, a member of the Inn-scribers club, in Harlow, recently had his verse published in the club's poetry book to raise funds for the St Clare Hospice.

He is now busy penning the sequel to First in Last Out entitled The Silent Piano Player, which tells of the battles faced by our hero after the war has ended.

Any publishers interested in seeing Mr Culshaw's works should ring him on 304217.

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