"The teddy bear that went to war"

There's a moving story in the Telegraph.  Here's an excerpt.

He is barely five inches high, with a stern little mouth and rather worn ears and paws – a scruffy little teddy bear that you would not give a second glance in a charity shop. He doesn’t even have a name.

But he has become quite an internet sensation, thanks to his owner, Jean Mellows, writing a letter to The Telegraph.

In full, the letter said:

“I was interested to read about the teddy bear that accompanied a Battle of Britain pilot as I too have a little bear, with my maiden name tape sewn on it, which I gave to my fiancé to take with him on his operations over Germany during the Second World War.

“He was a Mosquito nightfighter pilot and flew 50 ops accompanied by my bear, and together they won the DFC [Distinguished Flying Cross].

“We were married for 50 years but now, sadly, I just have the bear.”

With three sentences of perfect prose, Mrs Mellows had ensured readers of The Telegraph letters page were wiping their eyes over breakfast, clearing their throats and asking for the marmalade to be passed. Within 48 hours of its publication at the end of last week, her letter had been shared hundreds of times on social media, with many wanting to know more about the bear, the DFC – and Mrs Mellows.

There's more at the link.

The reaction to Mrs. Mellows' letter was so profound that the Telegraph sent a reporter to interview her about her wartime love story and the fifty-year marriage that followed.  It's something that will be familiar to those of that generation - my own parents had a similar experience - but today we take it far too much for granted.  It's worth reading for those who place a premium on the higher qualities of the human spirit.  Veterans in particular will find much with which to identify.

Peter