Introduction
February 16th 1960
It would be very interesting for me if I could read the story of my Father's life, written by himself in detail. Not only describing all the thousands of happenings and accidents during his life, but also something of his thoughts at various times. His hopes and wishes and his fears during what at least for a good portion of his middle life must have been a very dangerous and hazardous one.
There is no possibility of this, because he left no record of any kind and it is too late now to find out very much of it ¹Not quite true, as we now know..
For this reason I have for some time thought to make some kind of record of my own life, if my son should one day wish to learn (and I'm sure he will) of how his father passed along that road that winds ahead and fades away in the distant past, over many steep hills and through many verdant valleys. Here then is some kind of attempt to write down what I can remember from my earliest memory until now. Maybe not quite all, but some.
Perhaps the best way of doing this would be first of all to make notes and get things in the right order, but I couldn't very well do that, because I can't remember quite in what order things did come. What one did forty or so years ago isn't quite clear unless one really sits down and concentrates on remembering.
Here then, as near as possible, is a record of many things which I am sure it will bore even my son to read of, but there will be something of interest to him, and one day like myself he will like to know.