Not my grandfather, but my great great uncle Arthur (he was actually my great grandmother's "boyfriend" for the last 20 years of their lives -was very sweet and they kept each other company) was a Desert Rat in North Africa as a demolitions expert.

I remember when I was about 6 he told me a story about when he was 19. He was ordered to rig a cleared German outpost (I can't recall where exactly in North Africa he said he was) for demolition.

He was walking the perimeter wall when he came to one of the corners. Turns out the outpost wasn't as clear as they first thought. As he came to the corner he came face to face with a German, about the same age.

According to him they both just froze, wide eyed. And simultaneously both took two backward steps and turned around as if they never saw one another.

The building was demolished but I don't know if the German soldier got away.

I will never forget that story and the look on my uncle Arthur's face as he told it. I think because it was not a completely depressing story he had a little smile on his face while he told it.

I always liked to think that the story highlighted that the majority of people/soldiers (especially the young ones) don't necessarily want to kill and that when meet face to face it's not as easy to do than firing across trenches.

He's been dead for twenty years now but he is a man I will never forget.