B R I T I S H   A R M Y

   There I am, standing to attention in front of the major, and I’m supposed to be choosing a new name for myself. I think about my school. The founder of my school was called Gilbert Hannam and so I became Charles Hannam. My family really held it against me for getting rid of my family name. I understand that now. But that’s how it was at the time.

   To begin with I wanted to join the Air Force, but they said, “What? A German in the Air Force? We can’t have that.” Then I went to the navy, where they said: “You must be joking. Clear off.” And that’s when I joined the Pioneer Corps. They dug latrines for other soldiers. It was horrible with the Pioneers. But I was a wonderful soldier. I was sent over to India. I was there for three years. At the end of that time nobody knew that I had once been a refugee.
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