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Story of injured WW2 US airman uncovered

Louise Hulland & Katy Prickett
BBC News, Suffolk
Andy Garner A black and white image of private first class Earl G Thurman of the US 82nd Airborne during World War Two. He is wearing a garrison cap. Andy Garner
Earl G Thurman grew up in Georgia in the US before being enlisted into the 82nd Airborne

The story of an American airman who was injured at Arnhem in 1944 has been rediscovered after a box of letters and photographs were sent to a World War Two enthusiast.

Andy Garner, 60, from Bungay, Suffolk, has written a book about private first class Earl G Thurman, who was parachuted into the Netherlands during the ill-fated Operation Market Garden.

Mr Garner discovered the letters in a box of memorabilia he received from the United States, but did not understand the full story until he began transcribing them in 2022.

He said it was "an honour to own these letters" and he had written the book as a way of "remembering these people forever".

Andy Garner A letter written in a flowing script in blue ink on pale brown paper. It is addressed to Dear Daddy and dated 21 March 1943, written by Earl Thurman to his father, describing his life in the US army.Andy Garner
His letters were discovered in the US and sent to Andy Garner, with other memorabilia
Andy Garner A letter written in pencil dated 25 October 1944. It is addressed to Dear Mother and is written with careful blocking of letters. It was written by Earl Thurman to his mother after his injury.Andy Garner
Mr Garner said he was struck by the contrast in Pte Thurman's handwriting before and after his injury

The box included not only Pte Thurman's letters and photographs, but also his Red Cross bag, the telegram sent to his parents about his injury and the medical tag pinned to his shirt when he was shipped back to England for treatment.

Mr Garner said: "His mum is told he's 'slightly injured', but he had to have some of his fingers amputated and he had quite a severe stomach wound."

Pte Thurman did survive, but spent months in different hospitals.

Andy Garner A close up of a Western Union telegram sent to Mrs Launatt G Thurman informing her her son has been slightly wounded in action. Its background is brown and the type written script is in upper caseAndy Garner
Also included in the box was the telegram sent to Pte Thurman's mother, telling her he had been "slightly wounded"
Andy Garner A whiteish medical envelope listing Earl Thurman's injuries, including information on a wound to his chest and the amputation of his index fingerAndy Garner
He was transported back to England from the Netherlands with a tag tied to his clothing outlining his wounds

Mr Garner researched the airman's background, discovering he grew up in East Point, Georgia, before enlisting with the 82nd Airborne in June 1942.

By 1943, he was in Britain, based near Nottingham, while his letters to his mother Launette Glass Thurman show how he was "taken away by the beauty of the English countryside, the people, and even the local dialects", said Mr Garner.

Aged 20, everything changed when Pte Thurman took part in the largest airborne operation in history.

Andy Garner Earl Thurman's garrison caps. One is dark brown with blue piping across the middle. The other is light brown with blue piping across the middle. They are both folded flat and lengthwaysAndy Garner
Mr Garman said he wanted to make sure the stories of World War Two service personnel were recorded

Mr Garner's interest in US wartime personnel was first sparked when he attended the unveiling of a memorial to the 446 Bomb Group in Bungay 20 years ago, known as "the Bungay Buckaroos".

"Attending were American veterans and relatives and every year since I've been and laid a poppy cross," said the mechanic.

"And every year I took photographs of the memorial and posted them on social media for the 446 relatives who can't come over."

As a result, Anne-Marie Brown got in touch from the US and sent him the box of memorabilia she had collected from thrift and antique shops.

Mr Garner has self-published All American Letters Home by Private First Class Earl G. Thurman and is now working on another set of letters, involving the intertwined stories of two US GIs.

"It's all about remembrance, if it's in a book or on the internet, their story is saved forever," he said.

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