This is Arthur as a boy. He lived in Avoca Road - Tooting It could very easily be mistaken for his Grandson.
Arthur was a very good rugby player. Here he is in the Wandsworth Grammar first XV aged 13
Trainee Navigator taking a walk in South Africa
Number 41 Officers Air School South Africa February 1942. None of the other men in this image survived past 1943!
Perkins and ~Tiny Norris~ in their new issue flying gear. Torquay April 1941
AC2 Prothero Blackpool. All on basic training. Billetted in boarding houses. All pictured here with their land ladies.
In training - no stripes yet - 2nd right - front row
First home leave after leaving S Africa - very sick. Picked up torpedoed survivors from the fall of Singapore on the way back. Has sgts stripes and navigator wings.
This is how he looked when I met him
Concentration. Pilot Officer Prothero was responsible for getting them to where they wanted to go. Especially HOME! This was taken on OPs over Germany.
A Halifax on its way to Germany
Tired form a hard nights work. They look pleased to be home. Maybe even to have survived another trip!
After first tour of duty - Arthur mostly flew in Halifaxes or Wellingtons. This Wellington dubbed ~F for Freddy~ Note the number of bombs drawn on nose of aircraft.
Another Wellington ~The Good Companion~ On second tour. Note the bombs on the fuselage have been overpainted in case of hostile civilians on crash landing in Germany!
Fairlight Glen near Hastings 1946. Just married.
Ibiza 1971. This was Arthurs paradise
Ibiza 1973 just prior to getting ill