He couldn’t blame Rose and Emily, who were still under five and must have heard him crying out from his nightmares, and seen their mother’s tears despite all her efforts to hide them. But he simply hadn’t been able to form any meaningful relationship with any of them; shooing the children away when they pestered him with their babyish chatter; virtually ignoring Sally, Bob, Charlie and young Ernie; shying from the well-meaning, motherly Violet – and turning his back to Anne as they lay in that bed night after long night. He knew it was wrong, but couldn’t help himself, for the nightmare images stayed with him day and night, and filled him with such rage and despair he was frightened that if he let his guard down, he might suddenly explode with it all and terrify the life out of everyone.

Martin stared down into the clear water rushing over the gravel and swirling around the dark rocks, and saw the faces of those who’d shared the horrors of Buchenwald before being liberated by that Luftwaffe officer to the dubious delights of Stalag III, and the consequent forced death march halfway across Germany.

There was Freddy Pargeter with mischief in his eyes; and young Allan Forbes who’d saved his life and gone on the run with him through enemy territory after they’d been shot down; and Roger Makepeace who’d been his wingman – and had remained so throughout their ordeal. Then came the Aussie fliers, Billy Stokes the joker, and Jock Cannon his grizzled mentor and laconic drinking partner. They were followed by the Americans, Andrew Pearce, Randy Stevens and the drawling Willy Hurst who always seemed to be half asleep. And last but not least, the most senior of them all, the Anzac marine, Colonel Fuller, with his bristling beard and the obstinacy of a mule.

Martin’s vision blurred as the ghostly parade slowly faded into the water until all that was left was the echo of their voices in his head. The nine of them had formed a tight group in the camp until Freddy and Randy had tried to escape once too often and were imprisoned elsewhere. He’d since learnt from Anne that Randy had survived, but of the original nine there were now only five left, and he wondered if they too were being tormented by the things they’d witnessed.