Life Story Part 1

To the end of RAF Service

Towards the end of my working life, I became increasingly involved in exploring my ancestry. Having achieved the first objective – that of proving my Irish heritage – I visited the town in Tipperary from where I believed that my three times grandparents had departed in the 1840s. (Later additional investigation showed that I had visited the wrong area – they actually came from Connacht – but the principle was unchanged).

It was then that I realised one major gap in my knowledge: I had no idea of the circumstances leading to their emigration to Liverpool. Of course, I could guess that the potato famine was a major factor in their decision, but this was only conjecture. Without contemporaneous private records (diaries for example) it would be difficult to put their actions into context. This lack of perspective applied generally to all historical records unearthed.

This set me thinking. One advantage of my living through a time of great changes is that I now have the wherewithal to make permanent records of events for easy retrieval. My grandson told me a couple of years ago that I should write my life story. I hesitated for a little while and then made the decision: Why not put my story on record now for future evaluation, in a form where - most importantly - the contextual background to my actions is also provided? Hence the following account.

Since retirement in 2012, I have been able to devote further time to my ancestry investigations. This included taking a DNA test in 2017 which in turn led to me establishing the previously unknown name of my biological father and, correspondingly, a most surprising regal lineage, apparently leading back directly to William the Conquerer and beyond. These factors, coupled with the realisation that I have an ability to write somewhat acceptable memoirs, increased my resolve to compose this chronicle.

One final point. I have decided that, rather than simply relating a monotonous sequential life listing, I will attempt to record events as a collection of narratives, supported by background explanations where necessary. This realises my objective of putting happenings into context, offering a better understanding of the prevailing circumstances of the time.

I hope that you enjoy my memoirs. If I’m still around to discuss the contents, I’d be delighted to expand on any point. If not, I trust that my wish is achieved for future generations to gain a better appreciation of the exciting times which marked the second half of the twentieth century and beyond, albeit as seen from a single point of view. That’s all I could ask for.