He was a policeman and already married with two children when he joined the AAF. After training he was deployed to the Group at Snetterton, his task to 'keep them flying'. The job could start any time from midnight to 4 or 5 am; they saw the planes off and sweated out their return. His brother Russell - also with the Group - was lost over the North Sea. Post war he returned to law enforcement and became Chief of Police for 26 years. He afterwards worked as a private investigator and Safety Officer.