John Timmins - War Baby: The True Story of a Search for Identity by a Boy Adopted in the Confusion of World War II

Title Page

WAR BABY

The true story of a search for identity by a boy adopted in the confusion of World War II

Written by John Timmins

Publisher Information

First published as an ebook in 2013 by

Apex Publishing Ltd

PO Box 7086, Clacton on Sea, Essex, CO15 5WN, England

www.apexpublishing.co .uk

Digital edition converted and published

by Andrews UK Limited 2013

www.andrewsuk.com

Copyright 2013 John Timmins

The author has asserted his moral rights

All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition, that no part of this book is to be reproduced, in any shape or form. Or by way of trade, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser, without prior permission of the copyright holder.

Thursdays child has far to go

That line in the traditional fortune-telling poem could have been written for John Dalley Timmins, war baby and orphan, born 12 th July 1945 as the fires of World War II were slowly being extinguished in Europe but still raged in the Far East.

Johns story encompasses destinations as far apart as Manila and Moscow, Newfoundland, Newbury and the Costa Blanca -even Blackpool Tower. It is a life that includes time with the Army Intelligence Corps, being described as Sergeant Rambo on a Falklands simulation exercise, several marriages (which on occasion seem to have been more gruelling than army exercises), and the loss of one eye in an horrific accident. Throughout, John has never lost his humour and kept uppermost his own Holy Grail as an orphan, the question Who am I? In this at once both humorous and poignant book, the surprising truth gradually emerges of just how he was given away as a child, and found again, chronicling his methodical research to discover his true blood family.

Written in Johns own familiar vernacular this book oozes warmth. It will delight the reader coming fresh to it, rich with the pollen of an English summers day breeze and alive with the nostalgic crackle of an old wireless set. It will also act as a valuable source and template for those similarly dispossessed who feel a need to discover their own family roots, and the answer to that same question:

Who am I ?

Cover design: peterozycki.com

My Acknowledgements & Dedications

Firstly and for mostly this work would not have got any further than a tight circle of close friends, had it not been for two amigos from my schooldays:

Frank Foster and Peter Rozycki.

Frank, who over a six months period punctuated and translated my imaginative spellings of the Queens English in this work, so the reader no longer requires an enigma machine to decipher this and read it.

Peter, a professional graphic designer, for giving his time freely producing numerous book cover options, from which I selected only this one to enhance my book with, also for preparing all my illustrations.

The Frank Buttle Trust, who clothed me during the time that Berkshire County Council took me into care and placed me at Kingham Hill, a boys boarding school from 1957 to 1962.

I dedicate this book to the memory of those school teachers who did much more than taught me the rudimentary academic subjects on a schools curriculum. No much more; social graces, self respect, sense of duty, pride in my appearance, perseverance to succeed, courage to speak the truth, regardless of occasion or the outcome:

Edward Craig Cooper: Tom & Jean Bowker: Basil & Judith Benson: and Padre Harry Wilkinson, all impacted on my formative years at KHS.

Eric Percy & Doris Mary Timmins who adopted me at the age of six months and sadly by the time I was 12 both had passed away, but both had greatly influenced my character and personality.

Finally to those two adults who actually did give me life.

John D. Timmins. September 2013.t

Chapter 1

Whats the weather like today?

Who knows and who cares what the weather was like on the twelfth day of July back in 1945? Well yes I do, because that was my birthday. Most certainly I dont remember anything about that day at all. What I do know, about that time in my life, is only what I have read in history books, also from the stories that I have been told by other people who lived during that time of my life, but sadly not by my mother, nor my father.

The 12 th July 1945. By this day World War II was almost over; certainly the victory in Europe had been achieved. The celebrations on Tuesday 8 May that year held to establish the date in British history as the date we, the Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany now referred to as VE Day. However the war in the Far East was still going on against the Japanese, so yes correctly it could be said I was a War Baby born during World War II 1938 - 1945.

As for the weather on that day 12 th July by contacting the Meteorological Offices Library and Archive unit; my research shows and I quote now: Many thanks for your request for weather information for the Brampton area of Cumberland (Cumbria) for the 12 th . July 1945. Below I have provided a general summary of the weather conditions on that day taken from our nearest weather station and the regional statistics for the Carlisle area records:

A day dominated by areas of low pressure, one situated over Southwest Ireland and another over Northeast Scotland at 0600 GMT on the 12 th winds as a consequence were light to moderate and cyclonic in nature. Surprisingly, with all these areas of low pressure across the British Isles, there was very little rainfall reported and many places had a fine day with broken cloud and sunny spells. Temperatures were on the low side for that time of the year.

Its one of many fortune-telling songs, also a popular nursery rhyme, for children. It is supposed to tell a childs character or future based on the day that they were born and to help young children remember the days of the week..

Lets just see how true is this nursery rhyme that I learnt back in 1949 when at my first infant school St. Johns Church of England Newbury.

Mondays child is fair of face.

Tuesdays child is full of grace.

Wednesdays child is full of woe.

Thursdays child has far to go.

Fridays child is loving and giving.

Saturdays child works hard for a living.

But the child, who is born on the Sabbath Day, Is bonny, blithe, good and gay.

Now at this stage I must interject and point out that when this nursery rhyme was first published in 1838; the word gay as recorded for those born on the Sabbath Day (Sundays), had No sexual connotations as this same word does today in the twenty-first century. Prior to the 1980s our dictionary describes the meaning: Light-hearted and carefree.

As to my astrological star sign, my birthday dictates that its Cancer the crab one of the water signs. The need for emotional security is paramount.

22 June-22 July

So Thursdays child has far to go, well you will see if you read on!

I remember, I remember

Is the title of a poem by the Victorian poet Thomas Hood.