My father died in January 1985, when I was 19, and it was only later I realised there was a lot about him I did not know. I am not sure quite why that might be - we were certainly on good terms. I guess we were both quiet people and did not talk much.
He was not happy at home as a child; he was evacuated during the war, and was much happier living with the couple who look after him. When the war ended he moved back to his family - or his mother, anyway, as his parents had divorced.
Pre-War
He was born 15/Jul/33, in Ealing Maternity Hospital, to Edward, a fruit salesman, and Dora, who were living at 6 Stile Hall Mansions, Chiswick.
Evacuee
When war broke out, he and hundreds of thousands of other kids were evacuated out of the big cities. He his case, he was not evacuated very far - I think this means he was probably one of the earliest.
He was looked after by an elderly couple, Mr and Mrs Hodgkins with no children of their own, in Chorleywood. Mr Hodgkins had been in WW1, and suffered "shellshock" and hearing loss. He died before I was born. I do, however, remember visiting Mrs Hodgkins, whom Michael referred to as "Auntie".
After the war
Dora and Edward divorced; I am not sure when but I guess during the war. Edward left to have a new family, and Michael only knew about this when his step-sister, by then an adult, got in contact.
As soon as he was old enough to do so, Michael quit school - before getting any qualifications - and moved to live with the couple he had been evacuated to, aged about 15. We have a photo album with images from 1948, at "Sunshine Homestead, Chorleywood", so I guess that is when he moved back there. These photos date from then.
While evacuated he started to attend Christchurch Chorleywood, where he first noticed his wife-to-be. Now he was back, he got confirmed (08/Nov/49), and was in the same confirmation group as her - he is number 5, she is number 16.
In 1951, he turned 18, and got called up for national service, 14/Nov/51.
He is five from the left. He was part of the RAF, though being colour blind was never going to be a pilot.
This is at RAF Watnall in Nottinghamshire, with "Taffy" Winters, December 1951.
It is difficult piecing together what he did when, but I think he went to Malta quite earlier on. This photo was, I think, taken by him there.
His national service stopped 07/Dec/53, and he was transferred to "H" reserve at RAF Clyffe Pypard. I presume this meant he was on stand-by in case we went to war, and he likely had to do some training during this time, however, he was effectively out of the RAF at this point.
Mr and Mrs Hodgkins were now living in Hythe, Kent, and he went to live with them. He got a job with Pfizer, at their new UK site in Folkestone, as a junior laboratory technician, 11/Jan/54.
Back to RAF
It looks like he left Pfizer around 05/Aug/55 - they gave him a glowing reference - and joining the RAF full time again from 03/Nov/55.
From various letters and postcards, we can see:
- 14/Mar/57 Landed at Thirsk, back from Cypress and Iraq
- 26/Jul/57 Received postcard from Roy, sent to RAF Clyffe Pypard, Broad Hinton, Swindon
- 26/May/58? Nearing NY
- 26/Jul/58 Postcard from Christmas Island to Miss A Smith, 42 High Ridge Rd, Hythe
- 11/Oct/58 Honolulu
- 25/Dec/58 Christmas on Christmas Island
He was stationed on Christmas Island at around the time the atomic bomb was being tested there. He even had a photo in his album...
Even more disturbing, he grew a moustache...
More on Christmas Island
here.
On 02/Mar/61 he left the RAF, as corporal, having got O levels - chemistry in '53 (while at Pfizer?), English language '56, geography '56, maths '57, physics '59 and general paper '59.
Civvy Street
After leaving the RAF he came back to Chorleywood, and started to court Sheila - after writing a letter to Bernard to ask permission to do so. I think even then that was very old-fashioned! We do not have that letter, but we do have the letter he sent to Sheila expressing his interest, 03/May/61. This states that he is now working for London Transport Executive (LTE), and staying in Croxley (52 Frankland Road).
I think Mr and Mrs Hodgkins were still in Hythe, and he was staying with someone else, though I think I remember Mrs Hodgkins living in Croxley for a while, before moving to a home at Bourne End - and in my head she will always be Auntie at Bourne End.
He proposed to Sheila underneath Cleopatra's Needle, and of course she said yes. John Warren, a friend of them both from church was the best man; he accepted the appointment 06/Jan/63.
I talked about the wedding earlier. This is him with "Auntie" and his two children (apologies; I have my back to the camera).
He continued to work at LTE until he died, January 1985. He worked in what nowadays would be called Human Resources, originally as a clerk, but eventually as an executive assistant, and seems to have been well regarded.
Air Training Corps
In 1967, he became an Honorary Civilian Instructor for the ATC with 1280 squadron, Rickmansworth, obviously building on his experiences in the RAF. Curiously, I do not recall him ever suggesting I join, but I think he stopped before I was old enough.
He achieved the rank of Pilot Officer in 1970.
Other Interests
He was very much a part of the church, singing in the choir and serving on the PCC.
He was also involved in Northwood Missionary Mart, an organisation that raised money for missionaries by auctioning high-class brik-a-brak. He was chairman for a while, and we would occasionally have missionaries to dinner. After he died a collection was made, and over £1000 sent to Kisiizi Hospital in Uganda,
It was only going through these things that I discovered he did a course at Ealing Technical College, an HNC in Business Studies in 1967-68.
He was a season ticket holder at Watford for many years, later taking my sister too. It was great that Watford got to Wembley before he died... even if they lost.
