Jim Jolly arrived in France on June 26, 1944, as part of the follow-up forces to Operation Overlord, with the Allies still meeting fierce German resistance. His thoughts were whether he would ever see Britain again.

At Christmas 1944, aged 21, he lay in an abandoned Belgian house – suffering from jaundice – forgotten by his unit and without access to food and water. In his own words he said: “I was as sick as a dog”.

His mother was informed he was missing. In a Leader exclusive Andrew Atkinson talks to Jim Jolly’s son Graeme, who lives in Los Montesinos, Alicante, about his father, and his father’s visits to Spain, including Guardamar.

Part 1 coming soon.

Jim Jolly's unit firing on German resistance from DuPanne, Dunkirk 1945.
Jim Jolly’s unit firing on German resistance from DuPanne, Dunkirk 1945.