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From the first floor balcony of his sea front house, on the south eastern tip of England,
he could see the coast of France. Standing there, with the aid of binoculars, he watched
the evacuation of Dunkirk.

He and his wife had been in the house only a couple of years when, as soon as war was
declared, the army with its powers of requisition, had required them to take a number of officers - as paying guests.

He had registered under the compulsory service legislation, although his age put him
towards the upper limit. While awaiting call-up he was enlisted in the Auxiliary Fire
Service, and his new car was requisitioned for the same service. From time to time he
saw it around the town, towing a pump about the same size as itself, and twice the
weight. His heart bled for it!

With the evacuation of the B.E.F. from France and the subsequent threat of invasion,
conditions changed in the coastal towns. Along with neighbours he and his wife had
done what they could to help the servicemen being landed at the port; turning out
blankets, tea, food and other comforts. But once the ‘Dunkirk’ phase was over the
authorities took another view of the defences, and the part of the coast in which their
home fell became a restricted area; they needed to get out. So, an offer brought them
to live for a while in the paternal/maternal home. Until they bought a business in central
London, moved there and got involved with the capital’s blitzes.

[Throughout this period he continued his active support for a services institution with
which he first became involved in his teens. He was about thirteen when the first world
war ended and by then he had joined the local troop of sea scouts. The picture is of
him (seated) with fellow scouts. In 1915 the newspaper proprietor, Arthur Pearson,
himself blind, had set up an organisation to help servicemen blinded in the war. This
later became known as St Dunstans. The name was taken from the house on the north
side of London’s Regent’s Park that held its headquarters. It was about half a mile
from the home of Son ‘B’. The local scouting groups were encouraged to ‘do their bit’
for the war effort and helping at St Dunstans was part of that effort. Son ‘B’ grew up
with the organisation and it became an association which lasted a lifetime. With him
helping to set up recreational and sporting events; assisting at camping holidays etc.,
and a great deal of fund raising. He made many lasting friendships among the
veterans.]

After settling down in their new London home, and with conscription not seeming to happen, he volunteered for service in the Royal Air Force and spent the rest of the war on radio communication duties.

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