I long ago marvelled at the number of WWII stories of difficulty suffered with magnanimity and reticence. “A Doctor’s Occupation” by John Lewis is yet another. (Subscription to BMJ required)
It is not a literary masterpiece, perhaps, but it is vivid in its description of the daily struggle to survive and of the compromises people were obliged to make. Dr Lewis does not paint himself as a hero; rather he comes across as something more precious in everyday life: a decent man.