Jack Donaldson: A Soldier's Letters: On maintaining supply lines in the Second World War

Napoleon said that an army marches on its stomach. In a world war, it also marches on its trains and lorries.

Jack Donaldson worked in logistics and supplies, close behind some part of the army wherever it went. He was posted to Normandy at the beginning and end of the war, to Egypt after Dunkirk, then to Iraq, next Persia/Iran to help get supplies through to Russia, and finally via Cairo where he helped to plan the Sicily invasion, up through Italy and France to Belgium and finally Germany.

Jack wrote to his wife, Frankie, throughout the war. He gives a vivid account of the hard work, parties and danger involved in organising transport and getting supplies through to the British troops and to the Russians round the back route via Persia/Iran in World War 2.

These letters have been carefully selected to show the most interesting part of the war job, although censorship prevented a full account.