A 93-year-old man who escaped from an Italian prisoner of war camp during the Second World War has published his memoirs.
Former Wallington Grammar School boy Gordon Huntington has released his first book, Seize the Day, chronicling his life and his own great escape as a POW.
Gordon Huntington now
Signalman Huntington was captured at Tobruk in 1942 and later escaped from prisoner of war camp in Italy in 1943.
After a two month tramp in the mountains he reached allied lines and was home, at 23 Crichton Avenue in Wallington, in time for Christmas.
His tales of armed combat, capture and escape from the enemy promise an insight into what it was like at the sharp end during the war.
Mr Huntington’s memoirs include stories from before the war and what happened afterwards when he tried to pick up the pieces of "ordinary" life.
He said: "I’ve always wanted to write a story about life in general, and perhaps mine in particular.
"But, I’m lazy - always have been in some ways. However, I’ve decided to put my story down, so here it is."
Mr Huntington, who now lives in Devon, was born on May 26, 1920, in Streatham.
Before joining the Territorial forces he worked at the Prudential Assurance Company which he returned to after the war.
He went on to set up a successful catering company in London and ended up running a sauna bath business.
Mr Huntington met his sweetheart Edna when she was a schoolgirl at Wallington High School for Girls. They married during the war and had four children, two boys and two girls.
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