The purpose of this blog site is to provide updates on the publication of the book that I have been involved in writing since January 2014. The book now entitled 'A Pithead Polar Bear From Brighton to Belsen 1940 to 1946' is an attempt to understand what my late Grandfather, L/Cpl James Kitchener Heath did during the Second World War.

'A Pithead Polar Bear' is the culmination of another internet blog project that I started, entitled 'A Fragmented Military History', the name being an acknowledgement of the limited information that I had to go on and just how much there was to learn. The original site can be accessed from this site and in many ways can be thought of as being complementary to the published book.

James, or Jim, Heath was an ordinary citizen soldier signed up for the duration of the war. His experiences over the six years of the conflict are similar to those of many thousands of infantry men whilst at the same time unique to him.

My sincere hope for this book is that it may in some part inspire like minded people to take up the challenge to explore a similar history for one of their own relatives. My message is that it can be done even seventy plus years after the events described. It is also hugely rewarding.

Somewhere down the line I wrote words to the following effect, 'in my dealings with our veterans it has become clear that it is not our thanks they seek for what they did but our understanding'. That for me is justification enough for such an undertaking as this.



Sunday, January 1, 2017

Artwork for the book


Well here's my first attempt at putting a cover together for 'A Pithead Polar Bear'. I opted for a collage of original documentation. The following items are featured.


  • Early photograph as a new recruit taken some time in the first half of 1940 when he was with the North Staffordshire Regiment
  • The 'pithead' insignia of the 59th (Staffordshire) Division
  • The 'polar bear' insignia of the 49th (West Riding) Division
  • Jim Heath's sign up papers from January 1940
  • His entry pass into Bergen-Belsen camp from July 1945
  • His certificate of release to the Army Reserve dated 24th December 1945
  • 'The Kings Badge', a silver lapel badge awarded to soldiers disabled during service
  • Medal ribbons (clockwise from top right):
The War Medal
1939-1945 Star
The Defence Medal
The France And Germany Star
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