Anthony Yeates

The Grantham Pillars Anthony Yeates

Anthony Yeates, or Tony as I am widely known, was born and bred in the village of Drayton St. Leonard in Oxfordshire. I was seven years old when the second World War broke out.

The local Mount Farm airfield providing excitement, always something going on, the lumbering Wellington bombers and later to the sprightly blue painted Spitfires loaned to the USAAF. Troop movements around the village were frequent. The nearest I got to war was when an enemy aircraft opened fire with machine guns above the school. The teacher heard this strange aircraft's engines whereupon after several test runs the exercise paid off when she made us dive under our desks, protection for real. But it transpired the plane's target were troops on manoeuvres in a wooded area called the Cover bordering the airfield. Thankfully there were no casualties among our soldiers. There is something about the villagers and the people of this country, their resilience to press on, no matter what. It makes me proud.

My wartime experience has inspired me to write this novel.