Lately I've been reading The Real James Herriot by Jim Wight. It seems that when his father, James Alfred Wight (aka James Herriot) arrived in Thirsk, England in 1940, Donald Sinclair (Sigfried Farnon) gave him a speedy tour of nearby farms, and the surgery premises at 23 Kirkgate (Skeldale House), before coming to a momentous decision. Donald took an instant liking to the young vet, and made James an extraordinary offer.
Donald was about to join the Royal Air Force, and his assistant would also leave to serve his country within a month. So after working six months in a struggling practice in Sunderland for little money, James suddenly had the opportunity to run Donald's practice all on his own. It would be hard work, but James could keep five-eighths of what the practice earned.
Such are the unexpected upheavals of wartime.
Through his company It's Alive, Drew Ford has been sharing interesting wartime stories with readers. Hot on the heels of his Combat collection, he's now publishing another WW2 epic: The Lonely War of Captain Willy Schultz by Will Franz and Sam Glanzman. He's kindly shared a preview from his forthcoming book with us.
Enjoy!
Ultimately, Donald Sinclair returned to Thirsk after four months. No matter how much he wanted to serve his country, the Royal Air Force decided the rather unconventional vet just didn't belong. As Will Franz and Sam Glanzman relate in The Lonely War of Captain Willy Schultz, no matter how much you want to serve others, sometimes circumstances and personality get in the way.
If you'd like to read more about The Lonely War of Captain Willy Schultz, follow the link at the bottom of this post. I'll relate a little of Jim Wight's wartime experiences, and share more previews from Will Franz and Sam Glanzman's book in the next post.
Dragon Dave
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