MONTYS MEMOIRS - PART TWO

    Introduction from Monty Hyde Whyte

There are many gatherings which take place over the course of a year at the Elsecar heritage Centre, from craft fairs through live music concerts to cat & dog shows, so I am fairly certain that there is something which caters to just about everyone’s tastes. I am aware that some of the events are organised by the tenants of the Elsecar Heritage Centre themselves & range from those of a grand scale to more ‘intimate’ affairs. One of the biggest - if not the biggest of all - is the annual bottle fair & auction the UK summer national, a site wide event organised by one of the Heritage Centres longest established businesses BBR auctions, this particular annual event (the biggest of its kind in the UK?) is a  customary yearly happening which attracts visitors from all over the world & brings a much needed boost to the local economy each time it takes place. BBR put an enormous amount of time & effort into making sure this & their other events are a success with the public & should be applauded for all their hard work. Of  perhaps a lower key but nonetheless important activity was a recent charity event held by the Elsecar Heritage Centres own photography studio ‘PICTURE PROUD’ which had a fund raising day of family photography in order to collect money for Weston Park hospital in Sheffield. I had every intention of attending that day but unforeseen circumstances meant that sadly I had to miss the opportunity of getting some copyright free photographs. Apparently however I heard that the event was a resounding success with many hundreds of pounds raised for that most worthy of causes. All business tenants of the Elsecar Heritage Centre work exceptionally hard to ensure that visitors to the site enjoy their experience & are to be applauded for their efforts & I sincerely believe that the atmosphere which has been created as a result is one which won’t be found elsewhere & that’s why I recommend it as a place to visit albeit to browse, to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, a cooked meal or to indulge in some shopping. For the latter there is a range of places which cater for just about everyone’s tastes, so if you’re on the lookout for anything from a high quality children’s toy to a carpet, a piece of hand made jewellery or soap to a fleece jacket, a cupcake to having your pictures framed, crafting supplies to wedding accessories, a bag of sweets to a grandfather clock, a hand painted mug to a deli, an antique to a ride on a steam train, you’ll find it all at the hidden gem that is the Elsecar Heritage Centre.    
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    It was a while ago that I attended a wartime weekend at the Elsecar Heritage Centre. The event had been organised by those magnificent chaps at the Elsecar Heritage Railway. It was late summer & I remember the weather was particularly clement for the time of year which allowed both myself & the countless visitors to browse around the many living history displays & stalls which had been set up both in & around building 21. There were many enthusiastic ladies & gentlemen who had turned up for the occasion in wartime garb. Vehicles & equipment of that era were scattered about the area as well as an absolutely first rate George Formby impersonator who took to the stage & wowed the assembled crowds with a splendid open air concert which had everyone, both young & old, singing & dancing along. The highlight of the whole event for me was the 1940’s dance, which was held inside building 21. Everyone got into the mood & descended on the venue in wartime uniform or civilian attire. I myself hired a uniform for the occasion & had the good fortune to secure a dance or three with some rather attractive young ladies. For a while I found myself transported back those seventy odd years to my own wartime service & it is with that in mind that I arranged to meet my dear friend Eric Warner in order to recount those days so that he may include them in my biography. Together we spent an afternoon sitting on the bench near the visitors centre, with Eric enthusiastically scribbling away while I told my story. I’m afraid that poor old Eric may have contracted writers cramp from all the shorthand but I hope for his sake that it wasn’t all in vain & that you enjoy reading this, the second instalment of my life story.


                                                 MONTYS WAR. By Eric Warner.


On September the 3rd 1939, the day war was declared, Montgomery Hyde Whyte was in Scotland. He was into the last week of filming of the taut spy thriller ‘THE ENEMY AT THE DOOR’ in which he played Harry Flynn - a tough private detective who, with the aid of the beautiful & mysterious Miss Greta Green (played by Kate O’Connor ) thwarts a network of enemy agents as they attempt to steal the plans of the Royal Air Forces top secret new fighter plane. ‘The enemy at the door’ proved such a hit with the cinema going public that Monty was later to reprise his role as Harry Flynn in the films ‘KNOCK TWICE FOR DANGER’ & ‘THIS WAY TO MURDER’.  Directly upon completion of the movie, Monty boarded his MG TF & set off south. Arriving in Elsecar late in the evening Monty announced his arrival to his unknowing family by sounding the car horn then waiting behind the wheel for someone to appear to see what all the noise was about. Cars - any sort of cars - were somewhat of a rarity around the streets of Elsecar in those days but a shiny new sports car such as Monty’s MG was indeed a sight to behold & soon the street was filled with people who, once they realised who was driving, could hardly contain their excitement. Elsecar was a tight knit community where everyone knew everyone & most of those present had watched Monty Grow up. Now though the scruffy little street urchin who had delivered their daily newspapers had been transformed beyond all recognition. Gone were the fifteenth hand clothes with the shiny silver sleeves, the scraped knees & the tin helmet, to be replaced by an athletically built young man standing six foot three inches tall & possessed of outstanding good looks who was wearing a hand made suit which was every inch as striking as his car. Monty had never forgotten his roots & greeted everyone by name just as if he had never been away. To say his parents were surprised to see him was an understatement indeed as they had no idea that Monty was planning to visit & he was ushered into the house amid a flurry of handshakes & ‘welcome home Monty’ from his neighbours. Catching up with all the news over a cup of tea, Monty was soon up to speed with the events which had happened since his last visit. His father had been on the sick from his job as a wheel tapper at the Elsecar workshops (now the site of the Elsecar Heritage Centre) ever since contracting dry rot from sitting on a plank to have his elevenses, indeed he had accrued so many doctors notes in the intervening period that the family had enough squares of paper of the correct dimensions that there was no further need to cut up old newspapers for hanging on the nail behind the outside toilet door. Montys mother wanted to be brought up to speed with her youngest sons life, when asked about Elsie Monty deftly sidestepped the subject. The truth of the matter (a truth which he didn’t want his mother to know) was that even though they had been only married a few short months their relationship had floundered to the point where Elsie & he were now married in name only. Rumours had abounded of affairs with his leading ladies which Monty was supposed to have had - though Monty has insisted that I add that he always refuted all the allegations & insists to this day that while Elsie & he were married he remained faithful. Elsie could not cope with all the female attention which Monty attracted & her jealousy became as a black cloud hanging over their relationship. Soon though talk turned to the war, it transpired that Montys father had predicted the outbreak of hostilities for he thought he had some hand in it & had been expecting trouble ever since he had written a strongly worded letter of protest to the German embassy in London to complain that - in a futile attempt to appeal to the masses - Herr Hitler was copying Charlie Chaplin by adopting the same moustache & funny trousers though, even if he started to use a bowler hat & cane, he would never have the same worldwide appeal as the great man for he lacked comic timing. In anticipation of a conflict he had been digging an air raid shelter for the past six months (more accurately he had gotten the local children to dig a hole in the ground after telling them there was buried treasure to be found somewhere in his back yard). The resulting twenty five foot deep hole had been lined with oak planking & had a corrugated tin roof, inside the shelter was decorated with table & chairs all of which had somehow made their way from the Elsecar workshops while Montys father was on the night shift. Ever since prime minister Neville Chamberlains declaration of war he had expected Hitler’s first blow was to fall upon Elsecar &, although Monty attempted to persuade him otherwise, he remained adamant that the skies above the village would soon fill with Stuka dive bombers all there to extract revenge for his letter of the year before.
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Montys arrival in Elsecar caused a quite a stir as eligible ladies, autograph hunters & others who - if the truth be known - should really have been considered rather too long in the tooth to be star struck, descended upon Montys street in order to catch a glimpse of him. In order to say thank you to all his old friends & neighbours for welcoming him so warmly back into the fold Monty arranged an impromptu open air concert at the band stand in Elsecar park (that same bandstand still stands just across the way from the Elsecar Heritage Centre). A telephone call to a showbiz contact in Sheffield saw the arrival of a twenty piece orchestra & backing singers. News of Montys presence & the impending concert saw people from all the neighbouring villages arrive, indeed several coach loads of fans turned up from as far away as Pitsmoor. Elsecar park was packed to capacity on that sunny afternoon as Monty took to the bandstand to deliver a string of hit songs including his very own ‘LET’S MAKE LOVE’ & ‘IS THIS THE WAY TO YOUR HEART?’ It was later said that, such was the screaming by the throngs of adoring women as Monty sang ‘is this the way to your heart?’ that the noise could be heard all the way to Hoyland town hall. The concert wasn’t entirely without tragedy though as a special constable - who had been assigned to be part of crowd control duties was hit in the face by a pair of bloomers which had been thrown at the stage by an over enthusiastic young lady. The poor policeman in question received third degree elastic burns (though thankfully recovered in time to issue Monty with a parking ticket!). The concert proved such a success that the local council decreed that Monty should receive free coal for life. The following day Monty was preparing to return to London when he asked his other if she would like to have a ride in his car. It must be remembered that in those days such an invitation was seen as a rare treat indeed & as a result she jumped at the chance & took to the passenger seat (but not before warning Monty not to drive too fast!). After a sedate - well sedate in Montys terms - tour of the locality Monty brought the MG to a halt outside a big newly built three bed roomed detached house on the other side of the village from the family home. “I thought you were taking me home?” said Montys mum. “But I have mother.” winked Monty mischievously as he reached into his jacket pocket & produced a set of house keys. Dumbstruck as Monty helped her out of the car, his mum followed Monty down the garden path & through the front door. After a tour of the house Monty handed the keys over & dropped another bombshell. As far as he was concerned he could stand by no longer in the knowledge that his beloved mother was working her fingers to the bone every hour of every day of every week. Now she would never have to work again for he had arranged a very generous allowance to be paid weekly into a bank account he had set up in her name. Now, instead of dragging the tin bath in from outside & plonking it front of the fire the Hyde Whytes would be able to bathe in their very own bathroom &, even better still there would be no more  padding across the yard in the freezing cold every time nature called. That & the news he had arranged for the councils offer of free coal to be delivered to that address meant that she could heat the new family home to the point where they would no longer have to spread half a dozen greatcoats over the eiderdown in order to keep warm at bed time. After everything had finally sunk in Monty dropped his mother off at the ‘old’ house before wishing her, his father & his siblings well & pointing the nose of the MG towards London.
            Monty arrived back at his Park Lane apartment & walked straight into an enormous row with Elsie. She had been reading the gossip columns of every tuppenny magazine she could get her hands on while he had been away &, according to most of them Monty had been having a torrid affair Kate O’Connor whilst they were filming ’THE ENEMY AT THE DOOR’ & as a result the glamorous young actress had fallen head over heels in love with him. Monty was quick to point out that this gutter journalism was sensationalist stuff at its worst, besides which he couldn’t have had an affair with Miss O’Connor even if he wanted to (which he didn’t) for what the magazines didn’t know was that she preferred ladies to gentlemen. Unconvinced Elsie demanded that Monty leave &, despite his protestations, he found himself staying with his good friend, the respected Shakespearian actor Larry Gilgood & his wife Cecily, at their Knightsbridge townhouse. Despite visits to see Elsie & engaging the services of Cecily to plead his innocence when she refused to see him Elsie would here nothing of it, deciding to believe the press instead of Monty, so much so that she finally petitioned for divorce a few short weeks later. It was during this traumatic time that an idea which Monty had during his concert in Elsecar park began to take shape that perhaps he could help the war effort by organising a concert party to entertain the armed forces? Montys agent Noel Newbridge had all the right contacts & soon a meeting was arranged between Monty & senior government minister Sir Aubrey Fyffe Bridges QC MP. Monty put forward his proposal to Sir Aubrey over lunch at the houses of parliament to which the minister promised to take up the matter at the next scheduled cabinet meeting. A couple of weeks or so later Monty received a telegram from Sir Aubrey informing him that his idea had been accepted, he would have permission to tour all military bases & that he should assemble a troupe of performers with all haste. Never one to let the grass grow under his feet Monty had already taken the liberty of approaching several of his show business acquaintances. The popular comedian ‘Gormless’ George Glover, the Starlight Soft Shoe Shufflers (try saying that whilst eating a toffee) dance trio, the fashionable singer Barry Tone, Marvo Marvellous the magician, Betty ‘the girl next door’ Brown the Lancashire born singer & comedienne & the Kiveton Park High Kickers all girl dance company had all agreed to come on board. So the ‘TIN HAT TROUPE’ was born. After several weeks of intensive rehearsals the ‘TIN HAT TOUR’ hit the road, performing to packed audiences at military camps all across the country. Such was the success of the Tin Hatters with the soldiers, sailors & airmen who saw it that Sir Aubrey asked Monty if he would be prepared to take the show to France to entertain the Men of the British Expeditionary Force stationed there. Monty & the rest of the Tin Hatters needed no persuasion & soon preparations were being made for them to cross the Channel. Given the unusual circumstances of the tour it was decided by someone in the War Department that Monty should receive an emergency wartime commission, so it was Lieutenant Montague Hyde Whyte who led the Tin Hat Troupe into France. The tour went better than anyone could have ever imagined & resulted in several hit songs, all were co written by Monty & Gormless George Glover which severely mocked the Nazi regime, such as ‘OLD MOTHER GOOSE STEP’ ‘HAVE YOU HEARD FROM ADOLF?’ & ‘THE JACKBOOT JIVE’. Never known for his sense of humour, Hitler was outraged at the exploits of the Tin Hatters &, at a specially convened union meeting held in the canteen of his Berlin bunker to which all his senior party officials were summoned, demanded that the Tin Hatters - but especially “the upstart Montague Hyde Whyte” -  were to be brought to account once he had won the war. When the news of Hitler’s threats reached Monty he called a press conference, turning up (much to the amusement of the assembled media) in a comedy Hitler uniform &, after doing a hilarious mock goose step to the podium, he set about delivering a fantastically sharp yet viciously sarcastic take on a Hitler speech which had the reporters rolling in the aisles. Hitler was reportedly furious when he saw the resulting newsreel footage of Montys conference when he went to the Munich Odeon to watch the premier of ‘GONE MIT DER VIND’, so much so that he stormed out of the building throwing his pick & mix at the screen as he went.  A second emergency meeting was held where he raged at his lackeys that “Somezing must be done about der swinehund Montague Hyde vite. He ist ein total mofo & has made ein fool off me for ze very last time!” Unfortunately for those around him, just as Hitler seemed to be calming down, he happened to hear his second in command Herman Goering whistling the chorus from ‘old mother goose step’ as he was making the teas in the next room. Hitler burst into the room just as Herman was breaking open the biscuit tin to help himself to ein vaggon veel or three & set about the porky unter fuehrer with all the venom he could muster “Are you taking ein Smicheal??!!” Hitler could be heard to scream as he snatched the biscuit tin from Goering’s chubby digits & hurled it at the wall. “Zis lot is getting on my vick unt I am not kiddink. Everyvere I turn it is Monty zis unt Monty zat. Even my girlfriend Eva Braun has got ein poster off him on her betroom vall!” Monty was highly delighted when he heard that his actions were having such a destructive effect on the tyrant, for he hated Hitler & everything he & his evil Nazi party stood for with a passion he has never felt before nor since & from that moment on made it his personal crusade to do everything in his power to show up the Nazis for everything they really were.
 ………..Coincidence or not but it was only a matter of days after the Tin Hatters had returned to the UK that the Germans launched the massive blitzkrieg which was to sweep them though France & see the evacuation of the British army from Dunkirk.

In those dark summer days of 1940, when the very existence of Great Britain hung in the balance & invasion seemed imminent Monty was determined to do his bit to defend his beloved homeland. Answering the call whilst performing in the hit West End screwball comedy ‘WHAT NOW MY LOVE?’ where he played Mortimer Moore, an amorous yet naive playboy who gets conned out of his inheritance by trickster Winnie Wilson (played by Daphne Coleman) Monty joined the Shaftsbury Avenue Platoon of the newly formed Home Guard. It is probable that a more eclectic band of soldiers had never been fielded by the British army. Bagging the post of commanding officer - because he had once played the Duke of Wellington in a touring production of the moderately successful musical ‘NAPOLEON - MY PART IN HIS DOWNFALL’ - was Quentin Twist, whose reputation as panto lands premier dame initially led to questions being raised as to his suitability for the position (not because he was a dame but for the fact that he liked nothing more than to dress up as Widow Twanky even when not appearing in pantomime). Monty never saw fit to mention that, as a fully fledged first Lieutenant  he should have been in charge but instead seemed content to serve as a Private. Second in command was the notoriously risqué comedian ‘naughty’ Norman Newman whose catchphrase ‘who goes there?’ was to prove useful during guard duty. In order to supplement their official uniform issue of Home Guard armbands the ‘Greasepaint Grenadiers’ (as the Shaftsbury Avenue Platoon was to come to be known) raided the costume departments of every theatre within their area of operations. The result could only be described as ‘colourful’. Sergeant Naughty Newman took to wearing a replica of General Custer’s 7th Cavalry uniform, while Monty & two of his colleagues were ‘volunteered’ to wear the only costumes which would fit them - though subsequently parading for duty as one of the three musketeers did little for Montys moral. All in all when the costume departments had been plundered for outfits of a military nature the Shaftsbury Avenue platoon consisted of General Custer, Porthos, Athos & Aramis, a Samurai, four roundheads, two Vikings, Long John Silver, two Beefeaters, a bus conductor, four Shaolin monks, a pantomime horse, five Tudor pike men, the grim reaper, two matadors, Tarzan, Richard the Lion heart, a couple of Cossacks & an air hostess (when the fellow in question turned up for duty dressed as a trolley dolly he raised a few eyebrows though when Quentin Crisp saw him, he was promoted to Lance Corporal). Second Lieutenant Twist finished off the ensemble in suitable attire, choosing to turn up for active service dressed as Mother Goose, though as a concession to army regulations he had his dress, hat, bloomers & tights made from Khaki coloured silk.  Imagine the reaction from the general public whenever members of the Shaftsbury Avenue Platoon turned out onto the streets to protect theatre land from the threat of Nazi paratroops. If their ‘uniforms’ were bizarre they were equalled by the state of their weaponry. Between the thirty four of them they wielded two prop swords, a catapult, a spud gun, a bottle of bleach (enemy, in the eyes, for throwing of), a walking stick & a bag of crisps. As the summer turned to autumn the skies above southern England bore witness to the desperate struggle between the brave fighter pilots of the Royal Air Force & the hordes of the Luftwaffe, London itself became the target of Hitler’s fury. Undaunted the men of the Shaftsbury Avenue Platoon patrolled the streets as the bombs rained down across the city. Eventually deciding that if he stayed with the Home Guard he would probably not get to fulfil his ambition of getting to grips with the Nazis, Monty made the decision to join the regular army. A telephone call to Sir Aubrey Fyffe Bridges QC MP with a request that he be allowed to join the regulars quickly resulted in a formal call up. Given the unusual circumstances in which Monty found himself (Monty already held the Kings commission), Sir Aubrey circumvented the normal channels & arranged for him to attend training at the British army officer training college at Sandhurst. Ironically on the very same day he was due to leave for the army, his divorce from Elsie was finalised. In the hope of parting company forever on amicable terms Monty visited her to say goodbye. The reception Monty was given was frosty to say the least &, just before he left he told her that he was going away to join the army. Monty remembers saying “Will you miss me Elsie?” to which she replied “No & I hope the Germans don’t either!”

Whilst at Sandhurst Monty made many new friends but the most influential of which was the charismatic Major Digby Jones. It was Digby who first introduced Monty to the army commandos. This elite special service brigade had been set up at the insistence of the prime minister Winston Churchill & its remit was simple - to take the fight to the enemy by attacking strategic points in Nazi occupied Europe. The more Digby spoke about this new special force the more intrigued Monty became by the idea of joining this elite group. His friend warned Monty that training for entry into the commandos was extremely arduous with many potential recruits falling by the wayside. Undeterred Monty applied for transfer & soon found himself in Scotland to try his luck on the next training course. His arrival was the cause of much hilarity among the instructors, a soft actor whose only ‘active service’ was making sure the German army didn’t invade London’s theatre land. Soon however, those same instructors were forced to change their minds. Years of circus training meant that, far from being ‘soft’, Monty was both tough & athletic with a natural ability to absorb physical conditioning. As Monty recalls, this didn’t mean that he found things easy. The course was long & exceptionally tough but produced the finest troops the British army possessed. Passing out with flying colours Monty then travelled to Ringway airport (which is now known as Manchester airport) for parachute training. Soon he was awarded the coveted parachutists wings followed by a spot of leave. Now the sight of Monty in normal attire was always guaranteed to turn heads but Monty in uniform proved almost too much for the ladies to handle & when he stepped off the train at Elsecar station, the womenfolk of the village must have thought all their Christmases’ had come at once. As Monty was making his way down Hill Street word had spread around the village that it’s most famous son was back home. Even before he had turned onto Church Street half the villages children had appeared to trail him. Monty laughed & joked with them & had them all pretend marching in time with him. It wasn’t only the children who had turned out to greet Monty but it appeared that all the single ladies were there too, throwing on their best dresses & doing their collective best to impress in the knowledge that Monty was now a single man. By the time he reached the front gate of the new family home the crowd had swelled to such proportions that the police had to be called to keep order. Despite the commotion caused by his return to Elsecar, Monty was able to enjoy his leave & spend plenty of quality time with his family & friends. Ever since breaking into the show business big time Monty had cherished his visits to his home village for, despite the attention which surrounded him, all the Elsecar folk just treated him as ‘our Monty’.  At the back of his mind & the major reason for Monty wishing to make the most of this time with those he loved was the sure & certain knowledge that he would soon be in action. After all you didn’t train as a commando then expect to be desk bound. The Special Service Brigade & all the men within its ranks were itching to get to grips with the enemy & Monty was no exception. His hatred of Hitler & the Nazis & everything they stood for had only grown & he was determined to do them as much harm as possible in every way he could conceive.

Upon returning to base Monty began to harangue his superiors for permission to “have a crack” at the enemy & went as far as to submit several detailed plans whereby small teams of special service commandos would be inserted onto the mainland of Europe to carry out attacks & acts of sabotage, unsurprisingly each of Montys proposed schemes had himself marked down to lead them. Though perfectly feasible, they were rejected in turn for - it seemed - the commandos had far bigger targets in their sights. However before Monty could face his baptism by fire he was called in to see his commanding officer who informed him that he had been summoned to London for an audience with no other than the prime minister himself, Winston Churchill. Knowing he was to report with all haste, Monty caught the first available train to London. When he arrived at St Pancras station a car was waiting to take him directly to number 10 Downing street. After waiting for what seemed like an age whilst Mr Churchill attended to urgent government business, Monty was shown into see the great man in his private office. “Ah Monty” smiled Mr Churchill through a haze of  smoke as he puffed away on his trademark cigar. “sit down my boy.” Monty seated himself in the straight backed chair which had been placed directly in front of the prime ministers desk. Monty watched intently as Mr Churchill shuffled though a folio of documents, initialling here & ticking there. To be in such close proximity to Winston Churchill set the hairs on the back of Montys head on end for his admiration of this legendary figure knew no bounds. “How are you finding life in the Special Service Brigade?” Mr Churchill finally asked, looking directly at Monty over the top of his half moon glasses. “Fine sir.” Monty replied “Your idea to establish the commandos was an inspired one indeed.” The prime minister smiled a wry smile, a smile which Monty would come to know so well, before beginning to fire a barrage of questions about the commandos & their training which, as Monty answered, set a gleam in the prime ministers eye. “Are you hungry?” Mr Churchill asked after the conversation had run its course “Yes, as a matter of fact I am sir. I haven’t eaten since boarding the train this morning.” “Splendid” answered the prime minister as he reached for the telephone “will fish & chips do you?”. Monty was slightly taken aback but replied “Yes sir.” “Hello” said the prime minister into the receiver to his secretary “send out for two lots of fish & chips - Monty what would you like? Cod? Plaice? Haddock?” “Anything will be fine sir” “Alright.” nodded the prime minister before speaking back into the telephone. “Two cod & chips, both with curry sauce, tell them to put plenty of scraps on & salt & vinegar on both - hang on, I’ll have a savaloy as well. Have them delivered to the usual place in half an hour. Oh & don‘t forget the little wooden forks” With that Mr Churchill hung up. “Follow me Monty.” The prime minister said as he stood up & pressed a bell push on his desk. He & Monty were ushered down some stairs by a burly looking fellow whom Monty assumed to be Mr Churchill’s bodyguard & exited number 10 through its famous front door & into a waiting limousine. By now it was dark & the first air raid sirens were beginning to wail, echoing forlornly across the city to warn the people that the German air force was on its way. It was only a short car ride to a tall anonymous looking building which, after alighting the vehicle, Mr Churchill & Monty entered. Once inside the lift took them all the way to the top floor before they made their way up two flights of stairs to the roof. It was a large flat roof which commanded an unparallel view across the city. Two wooden fold up chairs had already been set up & the prime minister & Monty were shown to them by another plain clothed security man. Once seated, Monty distinctly remembers the prime minister declining the offer of a steel helmet which compelled him to follow suit. Monty knew that up there they were exposed & vulnerable to all manner of threats including falling shrapnel, he also knew that Mr Churchill was fully aware of the dangers but was seemingly cocking a snook at the Luftwaffe & anything they threatened. The fish & chips were duly delivered after which the prime minister turned to his bodyguard & instructed him to withdraw to the air raid shelter. Soon, alone on the roof, the two men tucked into their feast. “The best fish & chips in the whole of London” Smiled the prime minister as he bit the end off his savaloy. “I must admit that they are nice sir, but they’re not a patch on the ones you can get in Elsecar.” Replied Monty. “Mm is that so?” Said Mr Churchill as he took a mouthful of scraps. “What are their mushy peas like?” “Just divine sir” Smiled Monty. “& the curry sauce definitely leaves this one in the shade.” Really?” Replied the prime minister. “I shall have to try them sometime.” By now the drone of aircraft engines was filling the air. “here we go.” Announced Mr Churchill as he licked the last of the curry sauce from the lid of the tub. Soon the crump of distant anti aircraft artillery was joined by the sound of bombs exploding “They’re after the docks again.” “Sir” Monty interjected “may I suggest that you take cover? I’ll stay up here & report to you what I‘ve seen afterwards” “Nonsense my boy,” Smiled the prime minister “if the Nazis think they are going to send me scuttling off to an underground shelter, they have another thing coming.”

Over the next couple of hours the pair watched the drama unfold before them, soon it seemed that the whole of the east end of the city was ablaze. The glow of a thousand fires under lit the clouds to cast an other worldly glow across the night sky for as far as the eye could see across the eastern horizon, search lights played to & fro amidst countless shell bursts as the noise of battle raged, ebbing to & fro on the wind. Eventually the drama had played itself out, the bombers leaving the scene the sounds of war were replaced by the all clear & the distant rattle of fire engine & ambulance bells. Lighting a cigar Mr Churchill finally said. “You know, we can’t let them win Monty. If we allow the Nazis to triumph then it is not only us but the whole of the free world that will be lost forever.” Monty simply nodded as the prime minister went on. “All of us are duty bound to do everything in our power to stop Hitler & his evil regime & I have a special task in mind for you. I want you to resurrect the Tin Hat troupe & take it to America.” “But sir” interjected Monty “I want to fight.” “Believe me my boy” Mr Churchill continued “you’ll be helping the war effort far more if you do as I ask. We desperately need to have the Americans on our side. You take the Tin Hatters over there, tour the country & make the same success of it as you did here & in France & I guarantee you will hurt the Nazis more than you could ever imagine. Just remember Hitler’s reaction to the Tin Hatters so imagine his fury when he discovers you are in the United States. As well as infuriating the little dictator & winning the hearts & minds of the general public, you will be generating much needed funds, funds which will be directed into the war effort. Well Monty, what do you say? Oh & remember this, I am not giving you an order but making a request.”  “It would be both an honour & a privilage to do your bidding sir. I just hope I’m up to the task.” Monty replied “Splendid,” Beamed Mr Churchill “I’m sure you won’t let anyone down. Remember what you have witnessed here tonight Monty, go over there & win the propaganda war for us.”

The band stand in Elsecar park where Monty gave his impromtu show

Some of Montys Army memorabilia

Monty in uniform

TO BE CONTINUED…………..