Migration into Coventry

I've never checked out his story, I always took it at face value. My evidence that it is true is that my mother was a little ashamed that strings had been pulled (though she hadn't met him until a few years later).

Belushi. I was around at that time, Your father worked in a factory. The war starts and some junior clerk sees that he had been a miner, a very top class job and the Coal Board pulled him out and sent him down the pit. Your father was captain in cricket, well known, popular, fan club etc. Not just any guy, he was a morale booster, at a vital time in the war. The letter would not have gone to the Coal Board as normal, it would be sent to a Government minister, morale booster top priority. It would not have sat on a Government desk for days, this would have gone above anything else. The Coal Board top dog would have been in on this - yes, your dad would have top billing, and rightly so, he was well known, popular. More people in the factory knew him better than any boss - just what Coventry needed in those dark days.

Hi Kaga Not sure what strings were pulled, and I'm not sure how much cricket was played during the war!

Belushi, Not much but that's what makes your father's so interesting. It was a strong moraliser, it raised their spirits, 'we're not down and out, we can still play cricket, despite what you throw at us'. It sent all the vibes that were wanted in that era. I'm pretty sure many of my uncles watched it, the real reason for the raids that few books mention was they wanted to break our spirit, make us say 'we've had enough let's surrender'. With air-raids, black-outs, rationing and food very short, the U-boats were stopping supplies, we were losing so many battlles, the list was endless. There were many people that saw it that way - you can't imagine today what the the war was about, for most books were printed way after and tell little of the real war.

Belushi . Yes it is the same story, but can you come through on the mail please.