I would love to find out more about the history of the Sportsman's Arms and its owners. I only recently found out that my reprobate dad, a former army major, who left my mum and me when I was six, ran this very British pub, together with a couple called the Eagers. His name was Cecil Henry Dalton, but he was always known as Jim. He died in 1966 and is buried in the Happy Valley cemetery in Hong Kong.
I have been finding out about my dad in dribs and drabs over the past few years. I finally managed to get hold of his army records and discovered that he had been sent out of London to the Hereford Working Boys and Industrial School. Kids, (poor kids, that is,) were sent to these so-called Industrial Schools when they were thought to be getting into bad company, or were being seriously neglected, so a kind of cross between an orphanage, a juvenile detention centre but also where they could be taught a trade, though in Dickensian conditions. My dad must have trained as a baker because this is what he did when he first joined the army, having run away from the Industrial School, lying about his age (he was just 16 and from his measurements, severely undernourished.). I also know (now!) that he was already married when he married my mum. But just why he was sent away from his family remains a mystery, and I have not been able to find out very much about his civilian life in HK after leaving my mum and me. Your comment that his past experience as a quartermaster must have come in very handy in running a pub made me laugh out loud! It was really kind of you to reply in such detail. I didn't know about the 'incident' mentioned in the army record, so that was another mysterious detail that I can add to my long list! Thank you so much for your help. It is much appreciated.
Annie
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The Sportsman’s Arms
I would love to find out more about the history of the Sportsman's Arms and its owners. I only recently found out that my reprobate dad, a former army major, who left my mum and me when I was six, ran this very British pub, together with a couple called the Eagers. His name was Cecil Henry Dalton, but he was always known as Jim. He died in 1966 and is buried in the Happy Valley cemetery in Hong Kong.
Hi Annie,
Hi Annie,
Was your Dad in the Royal Army Service Corps?
The Sportsman’s Arms
Yes, he was! He was finally demobbed in 1954.
Hi Annie,
Hi Annie,
I only just realised you already created a thread for your Dad so I've posted some stuff there...some you already know but hopefully something new
https://gwulo.com/node/41416
David
Cecil Henry Dalton, the Eternal Mystery!
Hi David,
I have been finding out about my dad in dribs and drabs over the past few years. I finally managed to get hold of his army records and discovered that he had been sent out of London to the Hereford Working Boys and Industrial School. Kids, (poor kids, that is,) were sent to these so-called Industrial Schools when they were thought to be getting into bad company, or were being seriously neglected, so a kind of cross between an orphanage, a juvenile detention centre but also where they could be taught a trade, though in Dickensian conditions. My dad must have trained as a baker because this is what he did when he first joined the army, having run away from the Industrial School, lying about his age (he was just 16 and from his measurements, severely undernourished.). I also know (now!) that he was already married when he married my mum. But just why he was sent away from his family remains a mystery, and I have not been able to find out very much about his civilian life in HK after leaving my mum and me. Your comment that his past experience as a quartermaster must have come in very handy in running a pub made me laugh out loud! It was really kind of you to reply in such detail. I didn't know about the 'incident' mentioned in the army record, so that was another mysterious detail that I can add to my long list! Thank you so much for your help. It is much appreciated.
Annie
PS I didn't know about the medals, thank you!