Newsletter for the Rotary Club of Greater Geraldton - Issue No.: 781 Issue Date: 22 Apr, 2024

Pete Svensson shared an article with us about a young man who was serving in the British Navy in the Great War and subsequently sent to ground duty due to poor health with the rank of Captain. Despite the risk, he was begging for permission to fly, and his persistence paid off. When subsequently asked if he liked flying he replied, “Not too much” increasing his popularity with his colleagues for his honesty!

The young Captain never became an air ace, but he did get his wings.

Then, his older brother stepped out of the picture forcing his younger brother into an unwanted and difficult position. This young Captain was Prince Albert, second son of King George V and he went on to become King George VI…..

Interesting that Albert, a shy, diffident man with a stutter who never expected to be King, would be the rock that helped Great Britain and its Dominions through the horrors of World War 2….

A Postscript the Legacy of King George VI....

Despite his reluctance to be king, George VI was a conscientious and dedicated sovereign who assumed the throne at a time when public faith in the monarchy was at an all-time low. Armed with strong determination and the help of his wife, he became a modern monarch of the 20th century. During his reign, George VI endured the hardships of war and the transition from an empire to a commonwealth of nations and restored the popularity of the British monarchy.

From "Biography.com"