It was wise of Duff Cooper to remind us that “old men forget”, and I fully agree with him. But, like so many others, I find myself remembering more about the events of fifty years ago than I do about those of yesterday.

My entry into the world of aeronautics was brought about by R. V. Southwell (now Sir Richard), who asked if I would take a metallurgical post in the RNVR at Kingsnorth. I was, however, placed in the Materials Section of the Technical Department of the RNAS.

The head of the Materials Section was Commander Charles Frewen Jenkin.