THE FAMILY of a Newport RAF serviceman has rediscovered the diary he kept whilst serving in Normandy during the Second World War.

William Gillard Bidder served in a Barrage Balloons unit and kept a diary during the year he spent in France.

Despite being bought before the commanding officer and having the diary confiscated from him until the end of the war, it is still in good condition.

Mr Bidder, known as Gill, died 13 years ago aged 86 and a few years later the diary was found by his daughter Julia Williams.

Mrs Williams, 59, from Cwmcarn, said: “He told us about it but we never took much notice until after he went.

“I had seen in but had only glanced at it.”

Mrs Williams said: “It does make me feel very emotional and close to him.

“I’m very proud of him and I think he felt privileged to be part of it even though at the time he didn’t enjoy much of it.”

His oldest daughter Diane Podmore, 66, of Beresford Road, Newport, said she had not even read the diary all the way through until a few weeks ago.

Mr Bidder, who grew up in the Mumbles, started a printing apprenticeship before joining the RAF as a volunteer when he was around 28-years-old and went to Normandy four years later.

His wife Dorothy Hilda Bidder, 98, who now lives in Summerhill Nursing Home in Maindee, Newport, said: “He knew his age was coming up and he’d have to go so he decided to volunteer so he could do what he wanted to do.”

The diary starts in May 1944 and includes an account of his voyage to Normandy and the sadness at leaving England behind.

Mrs Bidder said when he got on the boat he was not told where they were going.

The diary continues each day through June with details of the weather, food and how he was feeling on the crossing.

On June 5, 1944, Mr Bidder wrote: “Weather still poor and sea rough. Don’t feel so good - no appetite. Stayed on deck quite a bit glad of the fresh air.”

Mr Bidder wrote of “the very near misses” he saw and “a number of dead English and Jerry bodies lying about.”

As a member of the Barrage Balloons unit, Mr Bidder helped to put up the balloons which made it harder for the enemy to carry out accurate dive bombing.

Mr Bidder wrote on June 6 of how they were told to cut the balloons away after giving their location away to the enemy.

He wrote: “The army came along and said our balloons were giving Jerry the range - he was lobbing shells on to beaches near us. They cut ours adrift and afterwards all KBs were cut on coming ashore. Heartbreaking, all our work, everything for nothing.”

Mr Bidder also wrote of how he had other jobs including being on prisoner guard and helping to load ammo.

Mr Bidder got to know a French family during his time there and included a separate section at the back of the diary called “Life in a French Village”.

After the war, Mr Bidder and the family lived in Wattsville before moving to Waterloo Road and then Marlborough Road.

He started work back in the printing business later opening his own firm in Blackwood.

Mr Bidder retired at 65 but missed working so much that he worked three mornings a week at Newport Printing Company until he was 80.

Mrs Williams said: “That was typical of him, he didn’t like sitting down doing nothing.”

Excerpts from the journal

May 31: "Must write those last letters home - wonder will they guess what's coming. Good thing they don't know. Ma would worry herself stiff."

June 1 to 3: "I like the spirit of our chaps - no one seems to be worrying (expect they are but won't show it - that stolid English character is something to marvel at.)"

Seventh week: "With this constant shelling and the din of our own guns, nerves get strung up and tempers frayed. One battery nearby had bad time. Jerry simply plastered it - many casualties and cases of shell shock - general position was that someone was giving away the position."

Eighth week: "This week we had a thrilling few minutes when Jerry decided to lob a few shells at us whilst we were bringing down K.B. Dropped four near us and we had to hurriedly seek cover - no damage. His guns continue to shell the village and many come quite near. In fact they drop all round. He usually starts 6 to 7.30am and we lie in bed wondering whether the next will land on top of us."