I was working as a Boy Messenger for the Post Office in Birmingham when war broke out in 1939. I was 19 years of age, and as was the tradition with Post Office employees at that time I volunteered to join the Royal Navy as a Signalman.
For the next 6 years I then served on a number of ships, including HMS Burwell, HMS Guardian and HMS Carlisle and saw action in the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Far East, ending up celebrating VJ Day in Sydney, Australia, where we were well looked after by the local citizens of that great country.
My main reason for wanting to tell my story is so that future generations, our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, who have been fortunate enough not to experience a world war will have some idea of what it was like to do so.
This not only includes the dangers, the tragedies and the hardships involved but also the courage, fortitude and humour used by ordinary men and women to enable them to cope with it.
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