Born just before the outbreak of the second world war and following a nondescript education, the National Provincial Bank employed me for three tedious years prior to being conscripted into the Royal Air Force. There I spent most of the next two years eighty feet underground, west of London on an Air Traffic Control telephone switchboard !

Highlights of National Service were "Mad Mary" at Compton Bassett Wiltshire- a feisty woman flight sergeant cook who could be heard bullying and swearing at the airmen on fatigues way across a vast square and a commanding officer whose punishment consisted of enforcing lawn mowing with nail scissors. These were the amusing highlights in what was amongst the best years of my life - the lowlights are best left unsaid.

After demob, jobs followed fairly fast and employers ranged from oil to paper, to milk, to beer, to computers and finally (for twenty six years) as an accountant with BOC (originally the Brins Oxygen Co Ltd and later British Oxygen)

While employed by the brewery (Watneys), I got interested in archery and then skin-diving with the Aquatic Club (Argonauts Branch). This was run by Don Shiers but later became part of the British Sub-Aqua Club. We trained at the Oasis Swimming Pool in London and I eventually became an Instructor. Two of the best holidays were diving on the wrecks around the Scillies - We dived on HMS Association (sank 1707), the Romsey (1707), the Juno (1782), Thomas W Lawson (1907), the SS Plympton (1909), the Lady Charlotte (1917), SS Mando (1955), and the Poleire (1970). This was a heady time.

I qualified as a Chartered Certified Accountant around 1970 and I am now nearing retirement. Skin-diving is now just a fond memory.

I am married to Margaret and have a son - Jeremy - (born 1974) who, in early 2002, attained his D.Phil at Oxford University.

We are researching the family tree. One of Edmund Hugh Hill's (of Peckham England) sons emigrated to Australia/Tasmania around 1918 with the family bible containing the family tree. I would really appreciate seeing a copy of this. My email address is on the front page.

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