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Life
1919-2006; b. Barnes, London; grew up at Hammersmith; son of partner in firm of dressmakers and a model at Harrods; ed. St Paul's [Cath.] School, London; joined advertising firm; participated in the last “Grain Race” from Australia round Cape Horn; served with Black Watch in WWII posted to India where he learned Urdu, and commanded India troops in N. Africa; captured in daring Special Boat Div. raid in Sicily; awarded Military Cross, 1946; esca´red from POW camp in 1943, and hid with Slovene anti-fascist woman Wanda Skop [Vanda in the Appenines], whom he later married;
returned to dress-making business after the war; climbed Mir Samir in the Hindu Kush (Afghanistan) with Hugh Carless, 1956 - resulting in A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush (1958); served as travel editor of the Observer newspaper, 1963-73; wrote travel books with Diana Petry, incl. Wonders of Ireland: A Personal Choice of 484 (1969) and Round Ireland in Low Gear (1987); restored a delapidated house in Italy with his wife, 1967 onwards; awarded CBE, 1994; Life-time Achievement of British Guild of Travel Writers, 2001.
Works
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