Dunstable soldier’s WWII memoir to hit bookstores nationwide after independent success

For decades, the notebooks of Private Ray Bailey lay forgotten in a box until David Wilkins discovered them at an auction. The young soldier had written more than 80,000 words detailing his capture and escape from occupied France, and how he managed to make it back home in time for Christmas.

Ray, who worked for Vauxhall, was just 21 when he was captured during the retreat to Dunkirk in 1940. He was marched eastwards by German forces in a prisoner-of-war column.

During the ordeal, Ray slipped away from his captors and set out alone, on foot, through occupied territory. With no map, little food, and the constant risk of being caught again, he relied on his wits, determination, and the kindness of strangers along the way.

After weeks on the run, he reached the French coast. From there, he managed to secure passage back to Britain — and in December 1940, just six months after his capture, he was home with his parents.

It was by chance that David found the box of unmarked Second World War memorabilia. The social history buff recognised its historical and literary value, and self-published the book.

David explained: “I didn't give up when I got turned down by all these publishers in the first place, and decided just to get on and publish it myself.”

After selling 2,200 copies and having the book covered in the press, he caught the attention of UK publisher Quercus, which offered to bring the story to a wider audience.

David went away and began creating the new book, ‘The Longest Walk Home’, focusing on Ray’s tale of resilience, human endeavour, and survival.

​The 70-year-old said: "I thought Ray wanted it published. I don't think he was writing it just to hide it away. If he had had the opportunity, I'm sure he would have done something like this himself.”

​The book has thousands of words written by the young Private describing his harrowing journey and the kindness of strangers who helped him as he escaped.

​David explained: “Ray talks about all the individual people whom he met along the way, and how that helped him survive… and there’s been a bunch of people who’ve done their bit to move this book along.

“It's almost like the book, or Ray, knew that sooner or later it would get out to a wider readership.”

​The updated version has an illustration of Ray walking along a winding road, drawn by Alex Green on the hardback sleeve.

The new edition is now available in bookstores nationwide, including Waterstones.

Kate Hewson, non-fiction publisher at Quercus, said: "We thought the story of David discovering the manuscript was wonderful in its own right, but when we read the book, we were all shocked by the quality of what he’d found.

​“Not only was this an unheard Second World War memoir – vanishingly rare these days – but Ray was a genuinely incredible writer, with real wit, heart, and a natural ability to tell a gripping story.

“The fact that he wrote it in his early twenties, having left school at 14, blew us away. One of our main aims as publishers is to find new voices that haven’t been heard, for whatever reason, and we didn’t see any reason at all that the fact that Ray was writing over 80 years ago should get in the way of that.”

Thanks to Quercus’ backing, Ray’s story will now reach readers nationally and across the globe, with an international rollout happening soon.

David added: “Genuinely, the thing that pleases me the most about it is that I saved Ray's story in the first place… and made sure that his story reached a wide audience.

“I hope I have done him proud.”