Issue 85 - The 1940s Society

The 1940s Society
For Everyone Interested in Wartime Britain
Issue 85
£3.00
May / June 2014
Dunkirk
74 Years on - Sean Longden looks
at the Men Left Behind
Charters & Caldicott
Peter Storey tells the story of
the Comedy Duo
Arthur Rosebury
by Jeff “Two-Tone Boogie”
Diary Events
And much more...
The 1940’s Society, 90 Lennard Road, Dunton Green, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 2UX
Tel: 01732 452505 Web: www.1940.co.uk Email: [email protected]
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A Grand Day Out?
Last months call for members to support a local charity brought a fine
selection of vintage clothes out into the open. The Sevenoaks Youth
Area Trust who were organising the 1940s Murder Mystery evening
were delighted with our attendance and the members that came
along had a great evening. More importantly, some much needed
funding was raised for a very worthwhile cause.
Meeting up at such events is a fantastic opportunity to get to know
one another and have a chat so perhaps it’s something we should do
more often. If you have any ideas for a possible outing then do drop
me a line and we can see if we can put something together.
Of course one opportunity to meet up is on the 24th May at the Coco
Club in Sevenoaks (see advert in this issue). At the time of writing
tickets are still available but do call the box office to check before
turning up. Brandyn Shaw is a superb entertainer and has been
very much complimented and compared with Al Bowley. If you get a
chance come along and see for yourself.
Ian
A few members of
the 1940s Society
who supported the
SYAT charity event
last month.
Please support the Society with a subscription on-line at
www.1940.co.uk or fill out and return the form on the back of this magazine.
If you have any comments, articles or information of interest we would be pleased to consider it for future use. Please contact us at: The
1940’s Society, 90, Lennard Road, Dunton Green, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 2UX or email us at: [email protected] .
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part and in any form whatsoever, is strictly prohibited without the prior permission of the editor.
Whilst every care is taken with material submitted to ‘The 1940s Society”, no responsibility can be accepted for loss or damage. Opinions
expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or the 1940s Society.
Whilst every effort has been made to contact all copyright holders, the sources of some pictures that may be used are obscure. The
publishers will be glad to make good in future editions any error or omissions brought to their attention. The publication of any quotes or
illustrations on which clearance has not been given is unintentional.
Designed and produced by Ian Bayley. . © Ian Bayley 2014
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The 1940s Society
For Everyone Interested in Wartime Britain
Regular meetings at Otford Memorial Hall near Sevenoaks
Friday 23 May 2014 - 8pm
Dunkirk - The Untold Story
A presentation by Sean Longden
The story of the Dunkirk evacuation is traditionally
told in terms of the men who escaped from
Dunkirk on the famed ‘little ships’. However,
tonight, the focus is not on the men who got away
but on the men who were left behind in France.
For every seven men that got away from Dunkirk,
one man was captured by the Germans. We follow
their experiences on forced marches across France
and Belgium into Germany and the horrors of
violence and starvation that they endured.
Sean will look at their experiences in the first few
months of living in POW camps as well as those
soldiers who went into hiding in France and
eventually escaped to Spain and North Africa. Some
eventually made the journey home.
74 years ago this month the ‘miracle of Dunkirk’ took
place. This evening’s talk gives a very
different perspective to the Dunkirk story, one
which remained hidden for many years.
Sean Longden is a bestselling author of
many books including one on the evacuation
of Dunkirk. He is an excellent speaker and
we are delighted that he is able to join us
this evening. Do come along.
Friendly meetings learning more about life in the 1940’s.
Meetings start at 8pm at Otford Memorial Hall, Nr. Sevenoaks.
Admission £3. Further details from Ian on 01732 452505 or
visit the Web Site at: www.1940.co.uk
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Advertise
here
for as little
as £20
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DUNKIRK
THE MEN THEY LEFT BEHIND
Our May speaker Sean Longden will be giving us a new
perspective into the ‘miracle’ of Dunkirk later this month
as we remember it’s 74th anniversary. Here he gives us a
taste of his book - Dunkirk The men they left behind.
‘Is anyone there? Is anyone
there?’ With these words General
Harold Alexander signalled the
end of the drama of Dunkirk.
Searching along the quayside
within the port and patrolling
the waters beside the beach,
the general held firmly on to
his megaphone, calling out for
and stragglers still waiting for
evacuation. It was 2a.m. on
the morning of 3 June 1940.
For six long, arduous days the
beleaguered British Expeditionary
Force (BEF) had been slowly
but surely evacuated from the
harbour and beaches of Dunkirk.
For some, the story had seemed
miraculous – somehow, with the
enemy just miles away and their
planes dominating the skies above
the beaches, 338,226 soldiers
had been embarked on ships
and sent home to Britain. With
the evacuation completed it was
time for Operation Dynamo to
end. As the last of the Royal Navy
destroyers slipped safely away
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into the waters of the English
Channel, there was nothing to
do but draw the proceedings to a
close.
When Alexander had allowed
himself a final search of the
perimeter, calling out to any who
might yet remain on shore and
receiving no reply, he returned
to the harbour and boarded a
waiting destroyer. Satisfied that
the evacuation was complete,
the order to set sail was given
and the ship cast off, zig-zagging
its way across the night waters
towards Dover. As his ship tied up
alongside the quay next morning,
and the general disembarked to
make his way to the War Office,
the story of Dunkirk came to
an end. Now it was time for the
legend to grow.
However despite the ominous
silence that had greeted
Alexander as he scoured Dunkirk
and its beaches for waiting troops,
Also
scattered
across the
countryside
were
hundreds
of lost
and lonely
soldiers.
some men were still out there.
Somewhere in the darkness were
over 68,000 British soldiers who
had never reached safety. On
the beaches and sand dunes of
Dunkirk, in the fields of Flanders,
beside the roads and amid the
ruins, lay corpses of hundreds
who had not reached the boats.
They had paid the ultimate price
during the fighting retreat. They
were not alone in their defeat.
Elsewhere were hospitals full
of the sick and wounded who
had been left behind to receive
treatment from the enemy’s
doctors. And further afield – still
fighting hard alongside its French
allies – was the entire 51st
Highland Division, and a myriad of
other units, some large and some
small, whose war had not finished
as the last boats slipped away
from Dunkirk.
Also scattered across the
countryside were hundreds of lost
and lonely soldiers. These were
the ‘evaders’ who had missed the
boats and evaded capture and
were now desperately trying to
make their own circuitous ways
home– still fighting hard alongside
its French allies – was the entire
51st Highland Division, and a
myriad of other units, some large
and some small, whose war had
not finished as the last boats
slipped away from Dunkirk.
POW’s being
marched from the
cliff tops. (from
‘Dunkirk’ by Sean
Longden)
Also scattered across the
countryside were hundreds of lost
and lonely soldiers. These were
the ‘evaders’ who had missed the
boats and evaded capture and
were now desperately trying to
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make their own circuitous ways
home independently, whether
by walking across France or
rowing across the Channel. All
that mattered was that they were
heading home, no matter how
long it took or how far their journey
would take them.
But for the majority left behind,
now prisoners of war, the journey
was not to freedom. Hour upon
hour, mile upon mile, day after
day, they walked. The feet of
the dejected and defeated men
shuffled over the cobblestones
of the seemingly endless roads.
Shoulders hunched, staring at
the ground in front of them, they
moved ever onward. Beneath the
searing summer sun the starving
rabble continued their journey into
the unknown. Like the remnants of
some pitiful ancient tribe sold into
slavery, they shuffled forwards.
Stomachs shrunken and throats
parched, they hardly dared think
of the food and water that might
bring salvation.
Some were half-carrying, halfdragging their sick and exhausted
friends. Others, too weak to help
the sick, were forced to abandon
their mates at the roadside. Yet
most simply trudged on in silence
men like twenty-one-year-old Ken
Willats who just five months earlier
had been a chef in a London
restaurant. Now, not having seen
food for days, he was too weak
even to raise a hand to wipe a
squashed fly from his forehead.
Whips,
sticks,
truncheons
and riflebutts
beat the
offenders
back into
line.
Desperate men summoned up
their last vestiges of energy and
fought for scraps of food. They
dropped to their knees in ditches
just to drink from the dirty brown
water. At night they collapsed by
the roadside, often deep in sleep
before their heads touched the
earth. Then, just a few short hours
later, they dragged themselves to
their feet again to continue their
journey.
As they walked they listened
to the shouts of their guards –
screaming at them to hurry up –
and to the cries of their comrades
as blows rained down on those
who hesitated. Whips, sticks,
truncheons and rifle-butts beat
the offenders back into line. For
some the end to their misery came
quickly, as the marching men
listened for the tell-tale rifle crack
that meant someone had finally
given up and been executed by
the roadside.
These dreadful days were
never forgotten by those who
endured them. Yet somehow
their sufferings never became
part of the folklore of Second
World War. They had fought the
battles to ensure the successful
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evacuation of over 300,000 fellow
soldiers at Dunkirk. Their sacrifice
had brought the salvation of
the British nation. Yet they had
been forgotten while those who
escaped to safety and made their
way back home were hailed as
heroes. It was an indignity that
long remained in the minds of that
defeated army.
Who could forget that ordeal?
Certainly not Les Allan. Sixty
years on he surveyed the rows
of veterans parading through the
streets of Dunkirk. Heads held
high, chests swollen with pride
and festooned with medals, the
aging veterans had gathered
once more to commemorate the
anniversary of the miraculous
rescue of a defeated army from
the beaches of Dunkirk. These
were the men whose escape
from under the noses of the
advancing Germans had become
so famous. None among them
doubted the achievement of
rescuing the forlorn force from the
beaches of France, nor would any
underestimate their sacrifices in
the years that followed. Yet some
among them, Les Allan included,
had their own, very different,
memories of the aftermath of
Dunkirk – memories that were
once more stirred up at the sight
of the parading men.
Though many years had passed
since 1940, the gallant veterans
still marched in step as they
approached the grandstand.
Amid the dignitaries Alan – former
stretcher-bearer, BEF veteran,
and prisoner of war – who had
been granted his place as founder
of the National Ex-Prisoner of War
Association, found his thoughts
were immediately consumed by
his own memories of suffering and
sacrifice. As the parade came to a
halt he leaned forward and called
out to one of the men standing
near him.
‘Hey, mate, which POW camp
were you in?’
‘Twenty A,’ came the reply, ‘What
about you?’
‘Twenty B at Marienburg.’
After a brief conversation, the
parade moved on. Perplexed, a
veteran officer seated beside him
turned to ask how he knew this
man, among all the assembled
ranks, was a fellow POW. Allan
allowed himself a smile and
replied.
‘It’s simple. Look at his chest. The
blokes with the least medals are
always the POWs’
He was right. There hadn’t even
been a campaign medal for those
who fought in France in 1940. The
Dunkirk POWs – the soldiers that
were left behind – were men who
had shared all the horrors of war
but none of the glory.
Sean Longden is the author of a
number of acclaimed books telling
the less well known stories of the
Second World War.
He has conducted hundreds of
interviews with servicemen and his
other books include: Hitler’s British
Slaves uncovering the brutal
treatment of PoWs in internment
camps; To the Victory the Spoils
reveals the unexpected story
of Montgomerie’s boys as they
marched from D Day to Berlin. T
Force unveils the story of a secret
regiment that set up in order to
capture Nazi war secrets in the
aftermath of the Armistice.
Dunkirk – The men they left behind
by Sean Longden
ISBN 9781845299774
Price £8.99
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Charters &
Caldicott
Charters & Caldicott expert Peter Storey gives a brief introduction into
this comedy duo that brought humour to many a wartime film.
...they reflect
the British
stiff upper lip
in the face of
adversity at
a time when
Britain stood
alone...
First appearing on British cinema
screens in 1939, the two characters
of Charters and Caldicott are
amongst film history’s most famous
and favourite comedy duo. Played
by Basil Radford and Naunton
Wayne, Charters and Caldicott hit
a resonance with cinema goers
with their scripted sarcasm and dry
humour. This popularity resulted in
the two characters being reunited in
several films throughout the war era
and through to the early 1950s.
Full of English idiosyncrasies from
a bygone era, the two cricket lovers
are sticklers for upholding proper
standards of dress, decorum and
behaviour, no matter where they
are nor what predicaments they find
themselves in.
Their first screen appearance was
in Hitchcock’s The Lady Vanishes
starring Margaret Lockwood and
Michael Redgrave. The Charters
and Caldicott characters were
created by the screen-writers Frank
Launder and Sydney Gilliat as a
means of adding a comedy element
to the spy thriller. At first glance,
Charters and Caldicott appear as a
pair of bumbling upper class fools
travelling around Europe ambivalent
to the events developing around
them. This was in the period leading
up to the Second World War; to the
uninformed it appears as though
they were dreamt up by the German
high command as a derogatory
cameo of English foolishness.
In reality, they reflect the British stiff
10
upper lip in the face of adversity at a
time when Britain stood alone in the
face of rising fascism and tension
across Europe.
They move almost seamlessly from
their own cricket obsessed world
to become enduring defenders of
the British way of life, inadvertently
tackling and thwarting the Germans
in one adventure after another.
Snobbish, the duo have a disdain
for others, no matter who they are,
whether they are foreigners with their
inability to speak English, Americans
because of their loudness and
mighty dollar or anybody showing a
lack of manners or decorum. Their
annoyance though, is targeted
mostly at those who either do not
understand cricket or who disrupt
their plans to enjoy cricket, whether
watching it or talking about it.
In The Lady Vanishes, Charters
and Caldicott, are delayed whilst
returning to England by an
avalanche, causing them having to
stay overnight at a remote hotel in
the fictitious European country of
Bandrika. That evening, Charters
says to his friend “I don’t like being
in the dark, our communications
cut off in a time of crisis”. Not a
reference to the impending war in
Europe, but more crucially, it is about
not knowing what the cricket Test
match score is. Shortly after, they
take somebody else’s phone call
from England and Charters asks the
caller “Tell me, what’s happening to
Charters and
Caldicott face
disappointment
– the test
match has
been called off
due to rain!
England?”
When the caller refers to the
weather, Charters retorts “Blowing
a gale? You don’t follow me sir, I’m
enquiring about the test match in
Manchester”.
It becomes obvious that the caller
doesn’t know what is happening
and Charters continues “You don’t
know; then you can’t be in England
and not know the Test score”. In
exasperation, Charters slams the
receiver back onto its’ cradle; turning
to Caldicott, he says “Wasting my
time, the fellow is an ignoramus”.
The avalanche cleared, Charters and
Caldicott continue their journey but
become extremely concerned when
Iris (played by Margaret Lockwood)
raises the alarm about an elderly
lady, Miss Froy, disappearing from
the train. Their concern is not about
the lady’s disappearance, but about
yet further delays in their journey
back to England in time to see the
cricket being played in Manchester.
It transpires that Miss Froy is a
British Secret Agent with information
about the enemy’s military plans.
The unnamed European enemy is
trying to prevent her from returning
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to England. Not happy with the
enemy’s despicable behaviour
towards Miss Froy and the fellow
British passengers, Charters and
Caldicott calmly spring in to action
by firing on the enemy from the
stranded train and help in getting
the train moving again. As the
film closes, Miss Froy and the
information she has gathered are
back with the British secret service,
but Charters and Caldicott face
disappointment – the test match has
been called off due to rain!
Following their first appearance in
The Lady Vanishes in 1938, they
proved popular with audiences and
returned in the Gilliat and Launder
films Night Train to Munich (1940,
also starring Margaret Lockwood),
Crook’s Tour (1941) and then a
cameo role in Millions Like Us (1943).
They were intended to reappear as
Charters and Caldicott in I See a
Dark Stranger (1945), but the actors
and producers couldn’t agree on
the larger roles that Radford and
Wayne demanded. This resulted
in the actors opting out of the
film and consequently two similar
but differently named characters
were substituted. However, this
disagreement left Basil Radford
and Naunton Wayne contractually
prevented from portraying the
characters under the names
“Charters” and “Caldicott”.
Subsequent films with the two
actors as the same characters as
Charters and Caldicott but with
different names were produced
throughout the 1940s. Similar
double acts, played by Radford and
Wayne include Next of Kin (1942)
as ‘two careless talkers’, as Parratt
and Potter in Dead of Night (1946),
as Prendergast and Fotheringham
in A Girl in a Million (1946) and as
Garnet and Leslie in Quartet (1948).
Another recurring cricket-mad pairing
played by them were Bright and
Early in It’s Not Cricket (1949) and
also in Helter Skelter (1949). They
also appeared as ‘the mechanical
types’ in Stop Press Girl (1949) and
as Gregg and Straker in Passport to
Pimlico (1949).
In addition to their many movies,
they recorded a similar number
of radio plays for the BBC; it was
their final pairing in Rogues Gallery
in 1952 when Basil Radford died
suddenly of a heart attack at age 55,
and Naunton Wayne completed the
adventure on his own.
More information about Charters and Caldicott can be found at:
www.ChartersandCaldicott.co.uk or follow them on Twitter @ChartersandC
or Like them on Facebook Charters and Caldicott
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British Air Raid
Precautions U.S.A.
Interest in the 1940s is worldwide as can be seen by a recent letter and photographs
from Michael Filler of Newtown, Connecticut, USA who had come across a copy of
the Society magazine. He would very much like to hear from groups in the UK.
I would like to introduce
a small group who are
reenacting a British
Air Raid Precautions
unit here in America.
We are also developing
a Home Guard bomb
disposal portrayal.
We have begun to
participate in WW2 air
shows in the States, and
would be interested in
hearing from similar
units in England.
Their assistance and
guidance would be most
appreciated.
Warden Michael Filler
Newtown, Connecticut, USA
Email: [email protected]
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Photo Album
Original Period Photographs with a Story
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Air-Raid
Precaution Display
London, England (1941)
A member of a recently
formed street fire fighting
unit shows how to deal
with an incendiary most
effectively.
The Air-Raid Precaution
display was staged by the
Wembley Civil Defence
Services at Wembley
Stadium in North
London.
A shield protects the
firefighter from possible
injury from explosion.
.
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Arthur Rosebery
by Jeff ‘Two-Tone Boogie’
Parlophone recording artist, bandleader, pianist & arranger
Arthur Rosebery is the subject of this months look into the
world of vintage music.
Arthur Rosebery was born in
Fulham in 1904. His father was
popular and well known in the
London entertainment world,
working for almost 20 years at
the Lyceum Theatre organising
shows as well as writing his own
and touring the country with them.
Arthur’s father always wanted him
to be a solo pianist and started
his training at the age of eight.
He would take the young boy to
Parties and get him to play, which
encouraged him as he would
receive money and sweets for his
performances. It also encouraged
him to practise more and gave him
ideas of becoming a professional
player.
Arthur Rosebery’s
band c.1929.
After leaving school Arthur
eventually landed a job in the
West End of London as a trainee
of copying orchestrations, leading
to him being able to score music
for up to 28 piece orchestras. In
1921 Arthur worked at 35 shillings
as a song demonstrator for FDH
(Francis, Day and Hunter). He
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was not very popular with the
management as he would not play
the songs as they were written,
adding his own interpretation
on them. Through luck or pure
hard work Arthur’s employment
at FDH lasted for just over two
years, during which he formed a
duet with himself on piano and
Laurie Johnson on violin. Arthur
was on the lookout for a drummer
to expand the duet to a trio,
eventually bringing in Laurie’s
uncle Billy Cotton who had been a
drummer in the Army. After much
practice the trio landed a job at a
local schools dance, being paid
five shillings a night each. After a
few gigs the trio got the news that
a relief dance band was needed at
Ealing Dance Hall, the big problem
being that a five piece was needed
which had to include a saxophone.
Saxophone players were scarce
at the time but Arthur discovered a
German who could play C-melody
saxophone, had an awful tone and
could not read music. They now
had a sax player along with South
African Max Chappell, the fifth
musician playing banjo. September
1923 was the start of this line up in
a professional capacity at Ealing
Dance Hall being paid £3 each
a week for three performances a
week. The band was soon told that
they could keep the job playing six
nights a week for £6 each, this job
ran until February 1924.
Spinelli,
although
a way-out,
eccentric
character
was regarded
as one of
the best
saxophonist’s
in Europe...
Arthur joined The Buffalo Band
in 1925. This was originally an
all Canadian band which started
playing in London in 1923. When
Arthur joined, the bands featured
players were Max Goldberg,
Charles Spinilli on alto saxophone
and clarinet and Ben Frankel
on violin. This was a stop gap
for Arthur as soon after joining
he left and formed a new band
based around the Buffalo Band
personnel; Ben Frankel and
Charlie Spinelli were included
in this new line-up. Saxophonist
Spinelli, although a way-out,
eccentric character was regarded
as one of the best saxophonist’s
in Europe at the time even though
he could not read music. It was
big news when Spinelli was gifted
a blue enamelled saxophone by
the Queen of Norway, because
she thought highly of his playing.
Rosebury’s old school friend
Frankel was a very hot fiddle
player who also doubled on kazoo.
This new band soon moved to the
Regent Dance Hall in Brighton,
replacing Billy Cotton’s band.
Arthur, knowing that Goldberg was
playing locally and did not start
until 11pm persuaded Goldberg
join the band after explaining that
Spinelli and Frankel were part of
the line-up. Short lived the work
with this new band dried up and
Arthur returned to London and was
out of work for six months.
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When Arthur heard that auditions
were being held at the Carlton
Ballroom, Tottenham Court Road
he was on the scout for musicians.
Semi-professional saxophonist
Bob Wise, who was playing
with Ray Noble at the time was
persuaded to go professional
and join the new band; Wise’s
co-Noble saxophone player Reg
Pink also joined the band. Doug
Bastin who was regarded as
another hot player on trumpet
and saxophone also joined, along
with Les Julian on saxophone and
violin, Max Chappell on banjo, Jim
Risley on bass and Len Lees on
drums. To Arthur’s satisfaction the
saxophone’s sounded particularly
good but the overall sound was
fantastic and the band had only
played one number and the
manager of the Carlton Ballroom
hired them and the money received
was shared equally between the
players. Edgar Jackson of Melody
Maker heard the band playing,
liked what he heard and praised
them in the next Melody Maker.
Jackson soon became the bands
manager and secured a job for
them at The Friars Club, a fairly
small venue but the band was
happy there. After about seven
months at the Friars Club the band
were approached by a talent scout
of Jack Hylton’s with an offer of
future work.
The Friars Club job ended and
although there was no work for
them Arthur stayed in contact
with all the players to be sure of
maintaining the line-up for any
work forthcoming from Hylton. It
was October/September 1928 and
during this hiatus of work Arthur
married. While on honeymoon he
received a telegram from Hylton
with instructions for the band to
start at the Cafe de Paris in August.
business”. After a meeting with the
management of the Kit Kat Club it
was decided that Arthur should be
the leader and not just “one of the
boys”. Arthur, always being one
of the boys and treating everyone
equal found this alien to his ways
and admitted “that he was later to
learn hard lessons from this”.
Arthur Rosbery
During the bands time at the Cafe
de Paris the band made their first
broadcasts and recordings, Arthur
arranged the tunes for the first
recording session. This was the
start of the Parlophone recordings
and this first session was supposed
to be a balance test session but to
the surprise of the band these first
recordings ( “He Loves and She
Loves” and “Mississippi Melody” )
were actually issued with the band
named as The Kit Kat band even
though they were still at the Cafe
de Paris.
In December 1927 the band moved
from the Cafe de Paris to the
more popular venue of the Kit Kat
Club in The Haymarket. During an
interview later in life Arthur fondly
remembers that they always had
a crate of beer for the band during
the recording sessions, another
(not-so-fond) memory of Arthurs
being told that “playing darts and
drinking beer was not good for
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The experience of playing
alongside flashy American bands
dressed in white trousers and
white tuxedos, standing on chairs
to take their solo’s was not only
a shock to Arthur but also made
him realise why the Americans
were so popular with the public.
After one such night playing
alongside Abe Lyman’s band,
Lyman commented that Arthur’s
band was the superior of the two
but lacked in presentation. Arthur
approached the club management
suggesting that his band have
some sort of dress suit for the
shows. Dressing the band in
foxhunting suits and renaming
the band to ‘Arthur Rosebery
and his Tally Ho band’ was the
result. Foxhunting was a popular
pastime and a lot of ‘foxhunters’
frequented the club. This may
have been popular with the public
but was deeply unpopular with the
individual players causing some
contention between them. Doug
Bastin actually removed his jacket
during a performance refusing to
be like a “Clown” and continued to
finish his playing in shirt sleeves.
The band was very popular with
members of other bands and
the press with both raving about
them. However, one reporter wrote
that he saw the Prince of Wales
dancing to Lyman’s band but not
to Rosecery’s band. With such
reporting being quite shocking for
the day the bands contract was not
renewed.
...his dream
was always
to have a big
band in the
West End...
Arthur was quick to realise that
image and showmanship were
becoming important parts of
performing and decided to make
some changes. With the Kit-Kat
Club job ending in August 1929
Arthur found himself out of work
and owing money after living the
high-life and renting an expensive
flat in Mayfair. Keeping much
of the band together mainly
for the Parlophone recording
sessions Arthur and the band
found themselves moonlighting
at Homochord as “The Rhythm
Spinners” and Sterno (mainly as
“Vincent Howard”). To fill available
time Arthur also organised small
bands for various venues, one
such venue being Nunky’s (The
Mitre Club).
With the show ending at 10.00pm
and Romano’s Restaurant (just
across the road from The Savoy
Theatre in The Strand) in need of
a new band Arthur arranged for
the band to finish at The Savoy
and after the curtain went down to
run across the road to Romano’s
and start playing at 10.30pm. He
decided as a publicity stunt on the
first night of starting at Romano’s
that at finishing at The Savoy he
and the band would continue to
play the ‘Wonder Bar’ theme while
crossing the road. This turned out
to be a brilliant move not just for
Arthur and the band but also for the
show, the Savoy and Romano’s.
Arthur and the band were now well
on the road to being known as a
“Hot” band.
Teaming up with American
ukulele’ist Alvin Keech Arthur was
now playing at various gig’s. When
a band was needed Arthur would
go on the scout around Archer
Street, seeing who was available.
Playing mainly stock arrangements
no rehearsal was needed. During
the show interval Keech would
come out and play the ukulele.
Romano’s was a good spot for
Arthur as the management were
“up for it” as far as “Hot” and
extravagant entertainment was
concerned, with some players
taking the stand for their own
little show. The band would also
turn some tunes into a play-like
act even having special painted
back-drops for the tune. With the
management allowing Arthur and
the band to exercise showmanship
and the public loving it the band
went on for approximately two
years after “Wonder Bar” finished.
The abrupt end to Romano’s came
about due to the closure of the club
as the management were accused
of “Cooking the books”. Arthur is
quoted as saying that “the band
was fired due to a disagreement
between the management and
myself. Of course they may have
been cooking the books as well”.
Although Arthur was now back to
performing on a regular basis and
had money in his pocket his dream
was always to have a big band in
the West End of London. Arthur
was not really a chancer but at a
meeting with Arthur Bush, stage
manager of the Savoy Theatre he
lead Bush to believe that he had
a band ready and secured himself
the position of MD for a new show
titled “Wonder Bar”. Rushing to
get nine quality players together
and learning three numbers off by
heart in two days this new band
got the job, with the show producer
(Andrew Sharlow) not realising that
was the bands whole repertoire.
19
The next adventure for Arthur was
the start of a new band for a job
of a few weeks in Iceland, this
turned out to last for two years.
During the Iceland job Arthur was
able to build the small band into a
band of fourteen pieces. Although
this (fourteen strong) band is what
Arthur had in mind for his return to
London, on his return once again
he started to lead small outfits
in small clubs. Arthurs manager
(Romano’s ex-manager, Mr
Stewart) had secured an audition
at the Chez Henri for Arthur, he
was to stay seated at the piano
wearing a white tail suit and play
twenty minutes of strict tempo
without raising a hand, smiling or
even looking up. This was to be a
tall order for Arthur especially after
his experience of running free at
Romano’s but he agreed as the
pay was extra good. During his
time at the Chez Henri Arthur also
managed to secure a contract for
the Chez Henri eight piece band to
“Music in the Morning” (Horlicks)
show for Radio Luxemburg. The
band would record the programs
at HMV studios which would be
broadcast four mornings a week.
Reaching the top and doing well
again Arthur was still not happy
with the music and style of playing,
sticking with it until the club closed
for refurbishment. After splitting
from his manager Arthur heard that
the Paradise Club were looking for
a band. Arthur and the Chez Henri
outfit, after an audition managed
to get the job. During the Paradise
Club job the band grew from eight
to a sixteen pieces, working at
the Paradise Club from 1937 to
1939 (the outbreak of WWII) and
also doubling at Dolphin Square.
Far from the Kit-Kat days! Arthur
and the band were now putting
on a real show with well known
personalities performing in the
cabaret. Tommy Trinder had one
of his first professional jobs at
the club. With the start of the war
Arthur was aware that the band
would split up as band members
were called to support the war
effort. Arthur soon formed a new
small band and toured the troop
camps billed as Paradise on
Parade.
The end of the war marked a big
change for players and leaders
alike with the Musicians Union
taking a hard stand where working
hours, conditions and wages were
concerned. Arthur decided that it
would be best not to reform the
band and worked as a solo piano
entertainer, having the capability to
perform a cabaret himself with all
that he had learned over the past
years from the likes of American
ukelele’ist Alvin Keech and Tommy
Trinder. With a job secured as a
soloist at an American Army base
in West Germany Arthur Rosebury
became Al Shine. This is the stage
name Arthur used until his death.
During his time in West Germany
Arthur or is it Al was involved in
small bands as well as being a
band fixer for many of the camp
shows. Arthur returned to London
in the early 1960s and continued to
work as a soloist in pubs and small
clubs. In 1968 he began working
in Flannigan’s and that is where he
remained until his death in 1986.
20
Another photo of
Arthur’s band c1929.
21
Not a complete
listing of
everything
that’s going on
but a few
events that may
be of interest to
members.
More are listed
on the website
at www.1940.
co.uk
Events Diary
23rd May 2014
The 1940’s Society - Sevenoaks
Dunkirk
74 years ago this month the
‘miracle of Dunkirk’ took place.
Sean Longden author of a
bestselling book about the
evacuation of Dunkirk will be
giving a presentation about this
incredible event.
8pm at Otford Memorial Hall near
Sevenoaks, Kent.
Further details from Ian on 01732
452505 Admission £3
24th May 2014
The Coco Club
Enjoy the style and glamour of the
1930s at the Stag Theatre Plaza
Suite, Sevenoaks - 7.30 pm
This vintage nightclub features
period music from Empire Radio
and live performances by Brandyn
Shaw with his band The Rhythm
Makers. We are delighted to have
Brandyn performing as he is
recognised as the New Voice of
the 1930s and has been
performing nationwide and on
television. This is an opportunity
to wear your best classic clothing
and enjoy an evening of fabulous
music, social dancing and a
unique atmosphere.
Tickets £15.00 from the Box
Office on 01732 450175 or online
at www.stagsevenoaks.co.uk
24 - 26 May 2014
Dover Castle WW2 Weekend
Dover Castle’s popular WWII
Weekend is back with a bang!
Witness an explosive battle and
soak up the atmosphere as the
castle returns to the 1940s. With
live music from the 40’s and
plenty of hands-on activities for
children, it’ll be a day to
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remember for all ages.
Admission charges apply. Please
check the website for further
details at: www.english-heritage.
org.uk
1st June 2014
Spirit of the 40s - FREE
Ramsgate Event
To celebrate the reopening of
Ramsgates Tunnels
Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of
Ramsgate Tunnels and their
reopening to the public. Salute to
the 40s Variety Show, Local
entertainers, re enactors, Thanet
Lindy Hoppers and much more...
For further details visit www.
spiritofthe40s.co.uk/
7th June 2014
D-Day Anniversary Cabaret
Night - Dover, Kent
Large-scale Cabaret Night to
commemorate the 70th
Anniversary of D-Day at the Dover
Town Hall. Tickets cost £15 (Or
£120 for a FULL table of 10) Entertainment includes Swingtime Sweethearts, Agape
Jazz Band, Frank Sinatra, Vera
Lynn Tribute and more... Please
visit www.jiginthebox.co.uk for
more information.
27th AND 28th June 2014
St.Elizabeth Hospice 1940’s
Hangar Dance (Friday or
Saturday).
Ellough Airfield, Beccles, Suffolk
(South East England). This dance
always sells out very quickly for
the Saturday night, so be quick
not to miss out. Music from the
Super Swing Big Band 18 piece
plus vocalists. Military vehiclesre-enactors-dancing display (lindy
hop etc) during band break. Large
well stocked bar (real ale) - hot
food - raffle. 1940’s dress
encouraged. All proceeds from the
dance to St.Elizabeth Hospice.
Tickets £12.00 Friday and £14.00
Saturday, available from 01502
511944 or for more information
visit: www.hangardance.info
5th - 6th July 2014
Isle of Wight Steam Railway 1940s Experience
This is one of the few Railway
Events that I return to every year.
It has everything you expect from
a railway event. Re-enactors,
exhibits, entertainment, music,
and of course trains. But the
setting is just so good, the people
so friendly and I always have a
good weekend. Perhaps its
because its on an island that it
seems so unspoilt.
Visit www.iwsteamrailway.co.uk
for more details.
16th - 20th July 2014
The Dig for Victory Show
North Somerset Showground near
Bristol. An affordable, family
orientated weekend event to
explore this turbulent yet thoughtprovoking period in our recent
history. The aim is to bring history
alive and the generations together
Weekend or day passes available.
Dance on the Saturday night.
Visit www.digforvictoryshow.com
for more details.
16th - 20th July 2014
The War & Peace Revival
RAF Westhanger, Folkestone
Racecourse. After last years move
to this new venue there is even
more to see and do at this
massive military vehicle event.
Check the website for full details.
Visit www.thewarandpeacerevival.
co.uk for more details.
25th July 2014
The 1940’s Society - Sevenoaks
Ireland During the Second
World War - An illustrated
lecture by Dr Bryce Evans
There is much rumour and
speculation as to the role of
Ireland during WW2, most of it
unsubstantiated. Dr Bryce is the
author of a new book on the
subject which at last details the
social and economic history of
Ireland during the Second World
War. This will be a fascinating
evening covering an area which is
seldom considered.
8pm at Otford Memorial Hall near
Sevenoaks, Kent.
Further details from Ian on 01732
452505 Admission £3
26th September 2014
The 1940’s Society - Sevenoaks
Army Bomb Disposal in the
Second World War
Susan Hudson
Susan Hudson is an author,
lecturer and radio presenter
whose book ‘UXB Malta’ gives an
account of the dangerous and
unpredictable job of bomb
disposal in Malta.
Tonight she will be giving an
illustrated talk on the challenging
and dangerous job of the British
Army bomb disposal teams.
Come along for what will
undoubtedly be a fascinating and
informative evening.
8pm at Otford Memorial Hall near
Sevenoaks, Kent.
Further details from Ian on 01732
452505 Admission £3
23
The 1940’s Society
Membership Application 2014
Fill in your application to ensure you get future copies of the
magazine for 2014 (or join online at www.1940.co.uk) and
have access to the members website area.
I hope you have found this issue both interesting and informative and would like
to receive it on a regular basis.
Please use this form (or a copy) or join online at www.1940.co.uk if you would
like to receive the magazine throughout 2014.
If renewing your membership please ensure that your details are up to date.
Membership is just £15 per year (£30 non UK).
PLEASE WRITE CLEARLY IN CAPITALS
Name:
Address:
Tel No:
Email Address:
Particular Interest in the 1940s:
Please let me know what items or improvements you would like to
see in the magazine
I enclose my 2014 membership fee of £15.00
(or £30.00 non UK) for 2014
(Please make cheques payable to “The 1940s Society”)
PLEASE RETURN TO:
Issue 85
The 1940s Society
90, Lennard Road, Dunton Green,
Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 2UX
24