A retired headteacher who launched an appeal for help about the story of Captain John Hannaford, the Last Bomb Disposal officer of WWII, who died aged 98, on Armistice Day 2015, has just launched a book on his life.

‘Time Stood Still in a Muddy Hole’ by Pat Strickson is now available on Amazon as a paperback and on kindle.

Pat contacted Captain Hannaford’s family to ask permission to write about him when she found a watercolour painting of the De La Warr Pavilion on the seafront at Bexhill-on-Sea.

“We lived in the same town, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, though sadly I never met him,” explained Pat. “I had the painting framed and it’s above my computer.

“The family provided me with his notes and war time photos.

“He worked in South Wales clearing UXBs from early 1941-to the end of 1943, based firstly at Cardiff, then Narberth. He worked around Swansea docks, in Newport and the surrounding countryside.

“John Hannaford was then sent to London to train US officers in bomb disposal, who had just entered the war. By that time, he was an experienced Bomb Disposal officer and had nearly been killed on several occasions. On his first training day, he was told there was a 10-week life expectancy for Bomb Disposal officers, but their CO assured them that the medical boffins had just discovered that bombs exploded faster than the human nervous system reacted, so not to worry, he wouldn’t feel a thing.

“Whilst away in London, he was taken ill and had major surgery on a duodenal ulcer.

“Many Bomb Disposal officers became ill in this way or had PTSD and suffered anxiety, but carried on with the job.

“John never returned to South Wales in wartime, but somehow he heard that his Section 8 had been sent on beach mine clearance to the Saundersfoot/Tenby area.

“John believed WWII Bomb Disposal ‘were forgotten in history.’

“They certainly never received recognition. No medal has yet been awarded for their dangerous work. I find that astounding and that’s what spurred me on to write John’s story. Captain John Hannaford and his fellow Bomb Disposal men deserve to be remembered.

“He believed they were heroes. I believe he was an unsung hero too.

“Their job was surely one of the most dangerous in the war, but they never left these shores and never fired a gun, but every job could have been their last.”

Upon the release of the book, Pat has started a Government petition to award a separate medal to Bomb Disposal Services of WWII.

“Amazingly those brave people were never officially recognised for their courageous work,” continued Pat.

“50,000 UXBs were cleared in the UK, many along your coast where John worked. 350 were killed during WWII.

“I’m passionate about it but we need 10,000 signatures by February for the Government even to take notice!”