The secret SAS man: Father on his deathbed hands journal to son documenting his exploits as WW2 hero Horace Stokes lived an anonymous life as a greengrocer and pub landlord But told son before death that he would leave him 'something important' Parachuted behind enemy lines, battled Nazis and got out of PoW camps Like many veterans, Horace Stokes rarely spoke about his harrowing experiences during the Second World War. Instead, he committed the memories of his heroic exploits to a very secret diary. It was only after decades of silence that he passed on the dusty old journal to his family just before he died. To their astonishment, the book revealed that the man many knew simply as a greengrocer and pub landlord had actually been a founding member of the SAS. Extraordinary: Just before the death of Horace Stokes (pictured left in 1944) he asked his son Peter (right) to come to his bedside because he had 'something important' to leave him - and presented him with a diary Memories: The journal left by Horace Stokes to his son Peter detailing the extent of his time in the SAS Teenager: At the age of 18, Horace Stokes (left) volunteered to join the Territorial Army's 121st Artillery and was mobilised two weeks into his training at the outbreak of war For the first time, his children learned how their modest father had fought the Nazis behind enemy lines, and escaped from several PoW camps. Because he was in the Special Air Service - formed in July 1941 - Mr Stokes was sworn to secrecy and never discussed his time on secret missions across occupied Europe. It was shortly before he died at the age of 64 that he presented his children with the stories of derring-do. Recalling the days before his father's death in 1986, Peter Stokes, said: 'He wanted me to come home to talk to me because there were things he needed to tell me. Posing: Horace Stoke (right) with colleagues in 1941, at the time when he was a Lance Corporal in the SAS Diary entry: Horace Stokes was a Sergeant in the army who parachuted behind enemy lines and battled Nazis Detail: Horace Stokes grew up in Birmingham and was just 18 years old when he signed up with the Territorial Army in 1939 He handed me the journal and I could barely believe what it contained. I was filled with pride and totally awestruck. Journal: Mr Stokes was sworn to secrecy and never discussed his time on secret missions across occupied Europe 'He was involved in some of the most famous raids during the Second World War, and yet he'd never mentioned a word of it. At the end of the war he closed the door on what he had done. He had killed many, many people and had seen his best friends killed. But while he had closed the door I know there was not a night that passed where he did not sit and reflect on what had happened. Horace Stokes grew up in Birmingham and was just 18 years old when he signed up with the Territorial Army in 1939. He went on to serve with 12 Commando, with the Small Scale Raiding Force (SSRF) and eventually with the newly formed 2nd Special Air Service (SAS). His secret journal recalls daring missions across Europe, describing in detail how he parachuted behind enemy lines before blowing up or sabotaging strategic Nazi targets. It also documents his capture and imprisonment in two different PoW camps and the harrowing moment a Gestapo agent placed a gun to his head during an interrogation. Sgt Stokes took part in legendary raids including Operation Basalt, a raid on the German occupied British Channel Island of Sark in 1942, and Operation Speedwell, an early SAS assault against Italian rail targets near Genoa in 1943. But when 'Stokey', as he was known, was demobbed, he settled into life as a greengrocer and later a publican, never breathing a word about his missions. SAS hero: Horace Stokes (right) fought the Nazis behind enemy lines, and escaped from several PoW camps Family: Royal Air Force veteran Peter Stokes is pictured with his children from left, Sophie, Joelle and Ben Peter Stokes, himself a decorated pilot, has now published his father's memoir as a book entitled 'No Ordinary Life'. Two of our planes were hit and set on fire - I learned later that Major Appleyard and a crowd I had served with for a long time perished Our plane altered course, the red light came on, then the green and we jumped, knowing full well that the pilot was dumping us anywhere but the right spot We spent a week behind enemy lines, ambushing vehicles and generally creating havoc It was under very heavy machine gun and rifle fire and how we got back on board without anyone being hit was a miracle Back on board we found one man had been hit in the back with a tracer bullet and was dying in dreadful agony. We finally got away landing at Dover next morning It was here, during the next few months that we broke practically every British Army record for endurance, including things like force marching 64 miles in 24 hours in full kit! We were out for weeks on end over the mountains day and night in the most appalling conditions It was not all bad, I remember spending six weeks, beautiful weeks on the Isle of Skye learning mountaineering, living off the land, trapping rabbits and shooting the odd dear - stalking them, which has to be tried before you realise how difficult it is. He said yesterday: 'Leading up to his death he was very strong and had a real spark. I read the journal and we discussed many of the stories. He was landed by parachute, submarine and boat in enemy-held territory time and time again and the fact that he survived is incredible. One that really stuck with me was how he cycled 230km throughout the night in enemy-held territory while very close to death. He managed to survive living off the land. By the time he learned of his father's past, Peter Stokes, then aged 24, was six years into his own military career. The father of three from Cornwall said: 'I was getting ready for a Christmas party in 1986 when my sister phoned me in floods of tears and told me that Dad was dying. He had come to my graduation in RAF Cranwell in 1984 and was very proud - but even then I had no idea what he had done with his life. In the end I think he wanted to unburden himself. Horace Stokes had just a few weeks to discuss his secret life with Peter, his other son Graham, and his daughter Pat, before he died, aged 64, from cancer. Peter Stokes went on to become a decorated serviceman, earning an MBE as Commander of No. 1 Squadron RAF Regiment, based at RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall. He said of his father: 'He was never decorated, he never received a medal. I didn't do half of what he did and ended up with an MBE and a Queen's Commendation. 'I wanted to publish the book so my children can learn about their grandfather's incredible wartime experiences.' No Ordinary Life is on sale at Amazon and other leading book stores priced £6.99. 1939 - At age 18 Horace Stokes volunteered to join the Territorial Army's 121st Artillery and was mobilised two weeks into his training at the outbreak of war 1940 - Volunteered for 12 Commando and joined E Troop 1941 - Took part in Operation Chess, a commando assault on a German-held commune in northern France, and Operation Anklet, a surprise Boxing Day attack on German forces stationed in Norway. Joined the Small Scale Raiding Force (SSRF) upon his return. 1942 - Took part in the famous raid on Sark, Operation Basalt, and Operation Torch, the British-American invasion of French North Africa. He was by now a Sergeant in the newly formed 2nd SAS. 1943 - Landed by submarine on the Island of Pantellaira in the Strait of Sicily then seriously injured himself parachuting into mainland Italy during Operation Speedwell, an attack against Italian rail targets near Genoa. Sgt Stokes was left behind but managed to cycle 150 miles to Rome on a stolen bike, where he was smuggled into a safe-house by Vatican officials and operated on a Yugoslavian medical student . 1943 - He worked as part of the Italian Underground Communist Movement plotting attacks on German convoys. 1944 - Captured by the SS two months before Rome was liberated but managed to escape repeatedly until he was finally caught again and transferred to a PoW camp in Munich. 1944 - Escaped again but was recaptured by the SS and interned at the notorious Stalag VII-A Moosburg, Germany's biggest POW camp. 1945 - Broke out of the camp with another Brit and two Americans before linking with a US Combat Division in Bavaria. 1945 - He was demobbed and one the last servicemen to leave Germany at the end of the war. Never spoke again of what he did, in accordance to strict SAS protocol.