Jan Leeming

The official website of Jan Leeming.

Tv & radio interviewer, newsreader, actress, author and voiceover artiste.


THE MOUCHOTTE DIARIES - SEARCHING FOR RENÉ

Thursday, 19 May 2022 20:31

I’m so excited.  If you’ve watched my Documentary ‘ Searching for René’ you will have some idea of the search, leaving a letter in a tomb (well you put letters into bottles and throw them into the sea) and meeting René’s sister just after her 101st Birthday and getting his British War Medals to her shortly before her death, you might have some idea of the length of my research - on and off for 5 years.


I was thrilled to be able to finally get a Documentary made for BBC South East in 2013.  I always wanted to write about that search and here we are almost ten years later and it has happened.  I’m very involved with the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel le Ferne.  Recently Dilip Sarkar - a prolific writer of books on WW2 and the BOB, was visiting Capel and was told of my Documentary.  We communicated and I presented him with one of my two treasured copies of ‘Mes Carnets’ in English.  I’m so glad I did.   Through his contact and working for Pen and Sword  Publications, there is now going to be a Reprint in English of the Diaries with all the fascinating Appendices (omitted from the 2000 version) and my Search will be there as the Epilogue.  I also have hundreds of photos I”ve taken over the years of my quest and there will be around 60 published in black and white including many not seen before which are the property of René’s family.


Today I received the Proof Copies of the Book cover and the book itself should be published in Spring 2023 to coincide with the 80th Anniversary of René’s death during a Raid over Epérlecques in August. 1943