The D-Day Dodger by Al Darlington - A book telling the story of a “D-Day Dodger” — the crass description given by MP Lady Astor of troops fighting in the bloody Italian campaign — is to raise cash for the Severn Hospice. 
“The reason I picked the Severn Hospice to benefit is that my wife Jessie Darlington died five years ago, and she spent her last month in the hospice,” said Al Darlington, of Ironbridge, who celebrated his 80th birthday on July 26.
“They treated her so well. She was a wonderful woman. She was a parish councillor for a while and chairwoman of The Gorge parish council. She died on Good Friday in 2001.”
After trying without success to find a publisher for his book in London, Mr Darlington turned to Telford-based Laundry Cottage Books, publisher of the local bestseller The Journey, the autobiography of wartime airman Ted Cowling, proceeds from which have also gone towards the Severn Hospice.
“I read The Journey and thought ‘this is good’, and when I saw who published it, I got in contact with them,” said Mr Darlington.
Mr Darlington’s book was originally going to be called “The Apprentice”, but was changed to “The D-Day Dodger” to avoid a clash with The Apprentice television show.
“It was launched last Sunday at the Valley Hotel in Ironbridge. It was quite a success. There were loads of people, maybe just slightly under 70. They made a marvellous birthday cake in the shape of a book for me. It was a surprise from my family — I have four children who are always full of surprises.”
Mr Darlington, who hails originally from Birmingham, tells in the book how his attempt to get into wartime action faced an obstacle — he was too young.
Turned down by the Merchant Navy, he went to the Royal Navy recruiting office in Birmingham, and, being only 15, was turned away. Next door was the Army recruiting office, which accepted him.
“I knew I was cannon fodder. I was under no illusions,” he said.
He went into the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. He was also to acquire a nickname. At school he was called “Darly”, which evolved into “Dolly”, but in the Army he became “Golly”.
But on paperwork he was 007 — his Army serial number was 14408007 and it was usual to use the last three numbers as a sort of shorthand.
Fighting in Italy, and still only 17, he was wounded soon after the Salerno landings.
“I got shot by a German machinegunner who caught me in the legs. He hit me with a burst. Luckily I dived for cover and the bullets hit the rocks before they struck me. The surgeon took out nine pieces, only about three of which you could recognise as bullets.”
After recovering, he went back into action, but was to receive wounds which were to take him out of the war for good.
“We had been on a patrol by what I thought at the time was the River Po. All my life I thought I was wounded on the River Po and it was not until researching this book that I realised it was not the Po, and was a tributary.
“An 88mm shell exploded above my head and blew me up. There was another man behind me who was killed. My legs were badly shattered and I thought I had lost my leg. My Tommy gun was blown up in my hands and my trigger finger, which had been in the trigger guard, had to be sewn back on. All the rest were broken. My right hand still has an injured finger which I can’t use.”
He was in hospital for at least a year, and an outpatient for a further three or four years.
He was, however, lucky in one sense. Private Darlington was the sole survivor of a “band of brothers” who fought their way up Italy.
The D-Day Dodger is published by Laundry Cottage Books (01952 223931) and costs £12.95. The ISBN is 978-0-9550601-2-0.
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