Man retraces father's SAS footsteps from WW2

Neal Latham and his son went to see where Alfred Earnest Latham fought more than 80 years ago

A man has been retracing the steps of his "hero" father who served in the SAS during World War Two.

Neal Latham, from Frome in Somerset, travelled to Sicily in July, where Alfred Earnest Latham, who was in the 1st SAS, was involved in a crucial campaign that eventually led to Italy's withdrawal from the war.

Mr Latham discovered notes made by his father in the back of a book called The Soldier's Guide to Sicily and has used more than 100 photographs his dad took, to piece together events from his life.

He said: "I'm really, really proud. He did an absolutely fantastic job. He's my hero."

Alfred Ernest Latham was part of the 1st SAS and took part in Operation Husky, also known as the Allied Invasion of Sicily

Alfred Latham, who was 25 at the time, took part in Operation Husky, also known as the Allied Invasion of Sicily, in July 1943 which saw the Allied forces invade the Italian island of Sicily.

It involved taking out coastal guns on the island's beach and paved the way for the Allied invasion of mainland Italy.

Mr Latham said that visiting the gun batteries in Augusta was "a very surreal moment".

"It was very emotional and surreal to actually be there," he added.

Mr Latham's father had written information about his time in the SAS in the back of a handbook

In his copy of The Soldier's Guide to Sicily, Mr Latham's father had written down the names of his commanding officer, sergeant, corporal and the order of an invasion in Sicily.

"He would be on landing craft number four when they approached the beach," Mr Latham said.

From the photographs, Mr Latham was also able to work out that his father was training in Cyprus around three to four months ahead of the operation.

"They were doing 45 to 50 mile walks in extreme heat, it was no holiday," he added.

Adam Earnest Latham had more than 100 photos in his collection which detailed his comrades and training

When Alfred Latham returned from the war he worked as a lorry driver.

"My dad was a quiet man. He wouldn't say a lot, but anyone who did what he did didn't talk about it anyway," added Mr Latham.

"He died in 1974 when I was 17... there are thousands of questions I'd like to ask him now."

Mr Latham said his mission continues to find out more about his father and the work he undertook.

"They were all heroes, every single one of them," he said.

"But I don't think they realised the enormity of what they were doing because to them, they were just doing what they signed up for."