When I Was Twelve: A wartime childhood

Would his father ever come home?

The true story of an entire childhood lived under the shadow of war.

Born in 1933, Nick Hutchins was just six years old when his father left for the Second World War.

By the time the war ended, he was twelve years old and almost a man.

At 90 years of age, Nick remembers his wartime childhood in vivid detail, like it was yesterday, and reflects on the impact of growing up without his father.

Lieutenant Colonel CDM Hutchins, known as Tim, served in the British Army with the 51st Highland Division in France. Left behind during the evacuation of Dunkirk, he was captured and became a prisoner-of-war in Germany. Now for the first time we can hear his voice through gripping, first-hand excerpts from his POW journal.

Bursting with action, adventure, fear and laughter, When I Was Twelve is a story of hanging onto hope in dark times.

‘When I Was Twelve is a truly immersive listen, told through rich voices. The tales of such challenging times bring home how resilient the human spirit can be. Simply beautiful.’ - Simon Kennedy, comedian and author of 9/11 and the Art of Happiness

‘A story of longing and hope in a time of war, rich with details to captivate a child.’ - Debra Tidball, award-winning children’s author of Anchored and The Scared Book.

‘Adults and children alike will gain so much from this moving story of a little boy called on to become the ‘man of the house’ while his father fights on the frontlines. When I Was Twelve will help those of us who’ve never seen war to develop the quality the war generations had—resilience. - Sheridan Voysey, author of Resilient and The Making of Us.