Hello and welcome to another edition of Family Stories, where rattling good yarns

are in plentiful supply thanks to you, our listeners sending them in.

This episode takes us from bombed out Braiman through to the Battle of Monte Cassino.

We start with Mark Rainier, who says, I very much enjoy your podcast gentlemen, your recent

story about the liberation of 5,000 cases of champagne was a cracking story and resonated

since I used to be a wine merchant myself.

My grandfather was a French emigrant London at the turn of the last century importing French

wine to Britain, and after the war my father Peter carried on the business.

He sent this letter to my grandfather from Braiman in May 1945, days before the end of the

war.

Dear father, as usual when I write to you it always seems to be because I am wanting

something.

This time it is the Income Tax Bogey.

I haven't seen any pay slips from the army since my last leave over a year ago, so I

don't quite know what I'm getting from the government for bumping off the late Hitler's

SS bodyguards.

If they paid me per head of live Jerry Court, I'd be quite a rich man by now.

You will have heard from the wireless what our past activities have been.

For us it has been a long hard battle and the carrier platoon has been right in front

all the way.

We were the first to break into the suburbs of Braiman, and once again my guardian angel

has been with me all the way.

...