BEGINNINGS

This is my story; this my swan song; the whole truth and nothing but the truth. There are some things done during my life of which I am not so proud, but many, many more of which I am very proud. Now at the age of eighty-three, coming up eighty four, I will try to record it for those folk that may have lost faith and require some encouragement to take an interest in their own future.

Baby Picture I was born on the fifth of February, 1913, before the first World War started, of a middle-class family living in Chelmsford, the capital town of Essex.

I was educated at King Edward the Sixth grammar school, Chelmsford,
School Photo
(I'm on the right side of the picture, bottom row).

and left to take up a three year motor engineering course in 1928. During this period I became interested in aeroplanes and enrolled with a correspondence college.
At the same time I joined the 104th Brigade, Essex Yeomenry; Royal Artillery; a horse drawn 18 pounder gun unit. I became first of all a driver of the newly mechanised unit, later becoming the driving instructor of the whole unit and promoted to sergeant.
Sergeant Porter
However, in 1935 I was beginning to feel that I should endeavour to get into the aircraft industry.


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