The horror of combat was not often spoken of after World War One and German soldier Curt Ascher was no exception.

World War Two veteran Colin Anson, however, has chosen to share his memories and his warm delivery only serves to make it all the more poignant.

Colin was born Claus Leopold Octavio Ascher in Berlin in 1922 and was Curt’s son, but why the family’s name was changed is only part of this remarkable story.

North London historian Helen Fry recounted part of Colin’s life history in her 2007 book The King’s Most Loyal Enemy Aliens, looking at the contribution made to the war effort by refugees. Colin was one of more than 10,000 ‘enemy aliens’ Germans and Austrians who fled Nazi persecution and went on to fight for Britain.

The book was released in paperback last year as Churchill’s German Army and a documentary based on some of interviews aired on the National Geographic Channel. Now Helen explores Colin’s story in greater detail in her follow-up book German Schoolboy, British Commando: Churchill’s Secret Soldier.

When I meet Colin and his Austrian-born wife Alice at their tranquil Watford Heath bungalow, where they have lived for more than 24 years, both are very modest about their achievements. Colin opens by saying what happened to him was “by all means not all that unique” and Alice, who worked in the WAAF, adds “in the services you get on with it and do what needs doing”.

In 2007, The Imperial War Museum recognised their contribution by hosting an event to commemorate Refugees from Nazism who Fought in the British Army. Both Colin and Alice attended, and Colin outlined his experiences in a speech. Some of this material is recounted in Helen’s book but what neither the speech nor the biography quite captures is the humility, kindness and healing power of humour that lies behind Colin’s words.

After World War One, Colin’s father Curt Ascher, who was of Jewish and Prussian descent returned home to Berlin and took up a post in the first Social Democratic Party of Germany. Critical of the Nazi regime, Curt was interred in Dachau in October 1937 and died less than two weeks later. The cause of death has never been explained.

“Even the death certificate from the parish church gives the time and date but no cause,” recalls Colin. “I have a strong feeling a man from the Gestapo said he had died of circulation failure, but if you remove someone’s head I dare say it would be severely impaired.”

Colin managed to escape to Britain days before his 17th birthday in 1939.

“It became increasingly obvious it would be healthier to leave the country but at the time there were great many people queuing up for entry visas. The national quotas, for some reason, were over subscribed by Germans and Austrians at that time,” says Colin with a glint in his eye. “But I was able to get a UK transit visa on the understanding that I would go on to the US when my number came up and that I’d not become a burden to the public purse.”

Far from being a burden, in 1940, Colin volunteered for the armed forces, joining the only unit open to the refugees – the non-combatant Pioneer Corps, based in Ilfracombe, Devon. He served in 87 Company of the Pioneer Corps, then transferred to 3 Troop of No. 10 (IA) Inter-Allied Commando for special duties. It was at this point Claus Ascher became Colin Edward Anson en route to his new base at Aberdovey. He went on play a part in the invasion of Sicily and the liberation of Corfu.

In late 1945, Colin requested to be posted to Frankfurt and had a heartfelt reunion with his mother. In 1946, after becoming a British citizen, Colin was able to bring his mother back to the UK. He met Alice in 1949 and the couple married in 1951.

“She is worth two of me”, Colin says taking his wife’s hand and Alice’s experiences working as a society photographer and for charities such as Gingerbread and the Woman’s Refuge could easily fill another book.

Both are modest people and thank others for the kind reception they have always had in the UK.

“The Quakers saved thousands of lives,” says Colin. “After I arrived in the UK, I took events as they came. I was a very young man, a boy really, and it was really a great adventure. I learned a lesson in tolerence and compassion and saw what a normal decent, kindly country with positive attitudes was like. Britain had a high reputation for fairness and this was doubly confirmed under the circumstances.”

German Schoolboy, British Commando: Churchill’s Secret Soldier by Helen Fry is published by The History Press www.thehistorypress.co.uk