The Compassion of Trees: Wartime foes become friends - united through the loss of loved ones by Chris Phillips

World War 2 is drawing to a close and German soldier Aldrich Renke is part of a squad launching V2 rocket (Doodlebug) attacks on London before his capture by Allied troops. With him is a child refugee.
Interned in Britain and grieving the loss of his own family in a bombing raid, he eventually remarries and settles in England.
Part 2 moves into the late 1990s when Renke becomes friends with a former British soldier whose wife was killed in a V2 rocket attack. He is also re-united with the child refugee - now a successful author - through the efforts of a journalist whose husband owns a wood that has fallen into neglect.
It's against this woodland setting and the challenges to restore it that further tragedy strikes.
With its poignant ending, The Compassion of Trees depicts the power of healing and renewal following the loss of loved ones.

I was asked to read this novel by a friend. I've read something by this author previously (in a book with other authors) which I liked his style of writing.

This is a story about two WW2 veterans and their path to solace via the woods. Aldrich Renke is a German WW2 soldier who was part of the launching of the V2 (Doodlebug), who goes on the run away from his platoon and finds things about his family. He then meets a little girl who he helps saves before being captured by the British (yay for us lol). Arthur Fulton is a British WW2 soldier who's wife was killed by the V2 (Doodlebug). He is 1 of the soldiers looking after the POWs in Lincolnshire, where he kinda met Aldrich Reneke. Move on nearly 50 years later, Aldrich is re-married with a son and grandchild, Arthur is living on his own (never re-married after his wide was killed). A chance meeting in the bookies leads to memories. A reporter who's husband leases the woods brings Aldrich and the young girl (he saved) together. What happens when they meet? What is the connection between Aldrich's family and the woods? 

All will be revealed when you read this delightful WW2 book about two old soldiers and what their intertwining lives are now the war is over.