Over the next two weeks comrades helped each other along, and then decided enough was enough. At one overnight stop they hid in a pile of hay bales and evaded the searches next morning. Should anyone ask, the German guards had left them to be picked up by the next party to come along, whoever that might be. In the event it was the Americans.
On repatriation, one of the first things Roy did was find out what happened to Leslie who was still at Mulhausen when the camp was liberated. They did get their holiday in Devon, and Roy was best man at Leslie’s wedding.
In retirement Roy re-forged his connection with the regiment, having being spurred into writing his memoirs by a chance remark “I hear you’ve been fighting in the desert, Grandad” from his six year old grandson Tom.
Roy went on to be editor of the Sharpshooters Newsletter, and attended many commemorative events, including the 50th anniversary of El Gubi – remarkably all the crew had survived. Roy died in 2013.