Synopsis

 

At six years old, Curl is a very happy little boy.  Growing up in rural Dorset, circa 1925, he loves his immediate family and spends most of his time running through nearby fields and watching blackbirds, however, his family unit is slightly different to the norm.  He and his three cousins are being raised by their grandparents, as all are illegitimate.  As the children mature they will learn to accept but hide their shameful, unknown parentage; however Curl’s ancestry cannot be hidden and is clearly marked for all to witness.

 

At age nineteen, he joins the Royal Artillery in the hope of seeing the world and finding his place within it but as he settles into his new life he experiences hatred and bullying.  He learns to endure the trials set before him and is gladly relieved when, after a few months, he sets sail with his new found comrades for the other side of the world after being posted to Hong Kong in 1939.  Unfortunately the, at first carefree, posting will eventually be subject to catastrophic events that bring war and cruelty to the area in a most barbaric form. Yet, on his eventual return to England, the privation he endured for so long, in service to his country, is shunned and he finds it difficult to find, not only a home, but also work.  His most treasured desire is to be accepted and belong somewhere; anywhere in fact.

 

His path will lead him through many trials and testing times requiring humility and patience.  The scars obtained in the Far East will always remain to cloud his future and almost join in matrimony with the unseen bigotry that lurks in wait for him around every new corner as he seeks acceptance within the world.  

But the Army helped develop his sense of pride, inner strength and justice and he eventually finds a career that will bring recognition of his skills and catapult him into the limelight.