Billy, Eric & Adolf: One War, Two Brothers

by Chris Whitfield

In January 1941 with the Liverpool Blitz at its height, twelve-year-old Billy Whitfield was evacuated to live on a farm without running water or electricity in the rural town of Bridgnorth, Shropshire, an event that was to shape him for the rest of his life. In the same year, his elder brother Eric volunteered to join the RAF, subsequently serving as a flight engineer in Bomber Command, the most dangerous of the Allied Services. Based on the true story of these two brothers and their contrasting experiences during the Second World War, Billy, Eric & Adolf is a tale of courage, innocence and love, a poignant, funny and moving account of ordinary lives impacted by extraordinary times. "The newspaper headline read more like a plot line from an episode of Dad’s Army. ‘Hitler wanted sleepy Bridgnorth to be Nazi HQ after the invasion of Britain.’ I laughed out loud... surely not? Innocently searching the internet for wartime photographs of the Shropshire town, I had inadvertently uncovered one of life’s unexpected ironies. The article, from the Daily Telegraph 21st April 2005, explained that newly discovered secret papers had revealed Bridgnorth as Adolf Hitler’s preferred choice for the headquarters of Nazi GB after a successful invasion of the British mainland. The town’s central location, the nearby RAF base, the fortification possibilities from its unusual ‘town on a hill’ geography, all contributed to earmark the place as ideal. The documents proved that German invasion plans were still up and running one year after the Luftwaffe’s Battle of Britain setback. They were dated 1941, the same year that my dad was evacuated away from the dangers of the Liverpool Blitz… and yes, he was sent to Bridgnorth. The absurdity of the young, twelve-year-old Billy Whitfield escaping the bombings by relocating to the town Adolf had chosen to make his home from home appealed to my sense of fun. The idea for a book about my dad’s wartime experiences arose from conversations with him that were increasingly veering in the direction of Bridgnorth. My mum would ask about a family matter, while my old man talked at the same time about catching rabbits or fruit-picking in the Shropshire countryside as a lad. He asked me one day if I would write up his reminiscences, and I agreed. We set up a routine of visiting the local Wetherspoons every Monday evening - yes I know that sounds more like Community Service - my dad drinking mild and dredging his memory for anything he could recall from nearly seventy five years ago, while I downed Diet Pepsi and scribbled frantic notes. I had expected to compile a few anecdotal recollections of times gone by, something nostalgic to its core, but nothing much else. However, both my dad and I were about to be taken by surprise. One name kept cropping up during our discussions, his brother Eric. He was five years older than my dad and therefore lived a very different war. While Billy enjoyed the war years growing up and learning to be independent, not least of all when living in the peace and tranquillity of the Shropshire town Adolf failed to conquer, Eric was a Royal Air Force volunteer in Bomber Command, the most dangerous place for a serviceman to be in the Second World War. The more I discovered about my uncle, the more compelling the need to tell his story as well. Billy, Eric & Adolf was born. Writing the book has been quite a journey, hard work, yet a labour of love. My dad is now well into his eighties and not in the best of health, but it has been truly heartening to see how much help and comfort this endeavour has afforded him. As I narrated draft pages to him, he would sometimes laugh, sometimes cry, and sometimes drift off to another time and place.

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 25, 2015

Reviews

[Neil Spark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life in war-time Britain is revealed in this memoir. It's the story of two brothers; Eric, who becomes an RAF flight engineer and his younger brother Billy who is evacuated to the country. The detailed narrative takes the reader inside the fighter bombers, the fear, the tension and cold. The camaraderie among flight crews is explored and pertinent questions raised about how history has portrayed the role of the RAF in winning the war.
Life outside the cities is shown through Billy's experiences.
The affection the author has for his relatives about whom he writes is clear. But it avoids sentimentality and the famous British stiff-upper-lip-must-get-on-with-it ethos pervades the pages.

[Jan Funnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it, the recording of the family's war years was for the most part a happy recollection of some very trying times for everyone. I had hoped that Eric would come through unscathed but that was not to be. The narrator dealt with his final minutes with a gentleness which evidenced the great love that Billy had for his brother. As a child born in the final months of 1944, I grew up surrounded by the many stories recalling the loss of husbands and sons so, whilst I didn't experience those times I did experience the backlash of those early post-war years. The book is well worth reading.

[Scott Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty decent read. Well written and an interesting story line. While I knew children were sent off to the countryside during WW2 I had never read an account of the experience.

[Avid Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good read. Very informative about the Bomber Command in World War II. I thought I would enjoy the story about Billy the evacuee the most - but to my own amazement - found myself engrossed in learning about Eric's part in the war as a flight engineer. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys social history. Thank you Chris Whitfield for sharing part of your own family history with us. I found it a very fascinating read and learnt so much.
Avid Reader

[Stuart Binnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A can't put down book ,- really an excellent read

I literally could not wait to turn the pages on this one.
It is a very ordinary story about very ordinary people during an extraordinary period but written such a warm way that you immediately identify with the characters.
The events depicted in the book were probably repeated many times during the war but to my knowledge have not been written and published elsewhere.
When you read the book and reflect on how people were and how they are today it makes one wonder.
All in all an excellent book

[Stowelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, as it gave incredible insight into the life of an ordinary family living in Wallasey whose life was affected - like so many, living through the effect of World War II. It was written beautifully showing the perspective and life changing events through the eyes of two brothers. Well worth the read if you are from the local and surrounding area.

[Olwen Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. Being born post WW2 it gives an insight into a world I never knew. Eric's story is particularly poignant.