Home

About Us

Subscribe

Advertise

Diary

Gallery

More Features

Announcements

Obituaries

Book Reviews

Contact

Advertisers

Schools

Book Reviews

Major Thomas Harvey, who died in 2001, was the former Private Secretary to HM Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother), an appointment he took up in 1946 following service in the Scots Guards. Tom, as he was known, was educated at Radley and Balliol College Oxford, and was already on the Scots Guards officer reserves’ list when war broke out in 1939. Thereafter, he served in Norway with the 1st Battalion, as an instructor at Sandhurst, and later with the 1st Battalion in Italy. In September 1944, the Battalion was ordered to attack Monte Catarelto, which was being held by a crack German formation, the 16th SS Panzer Grenadier ‘Reichsführer’ Division. During the Scots Guards’ attack, Tom led a bayonet charge, and was later awarded a Distinguished Service Order.

The wonderful letters in this book were very nearly ‘binned’ when David and Kathleen Harvey were clearing out the cellar of David’s late parents. Fortunately the letters survived, to be painstakingly deciphered and typed-up by Kathleen. These are mostly letters to Tom’s wife, and understandably he is careful about what he says. Nevertheless, they provide fascinating insights into how to sustain a ‘normal’ life while on active service. Just one example serves to make this point. On 3rd October, just three days after the action in which Tom was to earn his DSO, he was writing to his wife: ‘If I manage to get to Florence I will try and do some shopping again - I have neglected that badly of late - tho’ not entirely on purpose. This time I will try and get you something you can show off to your friends without danger of indecent exposure or improper suggestion’. 

The Editor

All proceeds to the sale of the book go to the Scots Guards Regimental Charity.

Copies (at £16.99 + £4.99 p&p) are available from Kathleen Harvey. Email: kathleen@dvharvey.co.uk, with payments to Hoare’s Bank: Kathleen Harvey TCH letters.  A/C No 00119400.  Sort Code 15-99-00