Come out into the light

It’s coming up to Father’s Day in the UK which is always poignant for me. My dad passed away in 2010. He remains with me in my heart and this weekend I found myself looking through a box of his photos and memories. Perhaps because of the D-Day events I was drawn to his wartime pictures and service record. Like many of his generation, he didn’t talk about it much, he just signed up, served and was released after the war was over. I knew him as a Headmaster.

The ‘highlights’ of his wartime service were:

-Volunteered for the Royal Navy aged 19 (1941)

-Served on HMS Duke of York, which took Winston Churchill to the USA to meet President Roosevelt (August 1941)

-Became a commissioned officer (1942)

-Part of the Landing Craft Flotilla that invaded Sicily, Anzio and the South of France (1943)

-Released from naval service (1946)

Thankfully for my existence, he survived all this, despite many near misses – he described it as “one of the great adventures of my life” which, given his humble roots, you can understand. My dad was an orphan, taken in by Barnardo's and not adopted until he was 7.

I always admired his immense courage and resilience. Coupled with his humanity and sense of humour.

One thing I found from his documents was the official ‘Officers’ Aide Memoire’ (dated 1943) which connects strongly to my world now:

“To develop the first essential of leadership, which is self-confidence, must be a matter of practical experience, possibly painful to endure, demanding courage and the will to avoid the shadow and to come out into the light.”

I plan to share some of the gems from this aide memoire in another post soon.

All of us who aspire to lead well would do well to heed this call for courage and resilience. Follow my dad’s example.

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