William placed an envelope on the side and nodded to it. "You can keep those. It's every single news article and publicly available document relating to his awards........64 pages from different sources"

He continued "3 months into johns deployment to India as a private while on foot patrol with his section. He came under fire and provided cover fire to allow his comrades to pull back including the retreaval of one soldier who was wounded. John took ran out of ammunition and continued to fire using ammunition from his wounded comrade"

He took one of the beers and opened it. "His second mention was for finding and securing an enemy weapons cache in a village and holding it until relieved by the rest of his company"

Bill took the envelope and weighed it in his hands. "Good God," he said. And he was a slow reader too.

He listened to the captain. Part of it was what John had told him too, but hearing someone else explain John's brave deeds to him made him feel even prouder than he had before. His son had made something of himself, against all the odds. And even this Captain St. Clair thought highly of him.

There was something else as well, however. A discomfort. There was no question about his son's courage. And evidently the circumstances had necessitated John's actions. But it was violence nonetheless. He had surely killed men. Killed them in battles Bill wasn't sure they had any business fighting. He had never felt patriotic. What had his 'country' done for him, other than punish him and his family brutally for a crime committed as a child? Through the reformitory, it had sought to drill and sometimes beat the Empire into him. Indeed many boys had gone on too join the Royal Navy. But in Bill, it had only instilled a mistrust of authority and a suspicion of any institution that glorified violence as a way to salvation. What good could the British Empire claim to do among the 'uncivilized peoples' anyway, when back at home, infants were still dying in slums from foul living conditions and a lack of nutrients. John had turned out better than he could have dreamed, but it had not changed Bill's opinion on his choice of career.

"Aye, 'e's a brave lad, our John. I give 'im that. He was never easily frightened. Made it hard on 'is old man at times. But here he is. Just 'ope he won't do anything stupid."

William smiled "while John is a good soldier. He is also switched on. He found himself at home working over there but his attitude changed towards his last patrol he was injured on. John and I spoke a few days ago and he told me that while he was over there. He dreamed of making his family proud and that he hoped it would change his past. He needed to change who he was and started learning. He's a bloody good tailor and hopes to pursue it when he returns and start his own business."

He continued as before. His third mentioned in dispatches was saving an officers life out there. He managed to get the wounded horse off of the captain and free his trapped leg before helping him to safety.....the officer is a distant relative of mine and was the one who informed me of John returning to whitby."

He took another drink from the beer before continuing. "The last one.....his miliary cross happened on the day he was wounded and that's why he recieved it. He pulled 5 men out of a firefight and administered treatment to them. Saving all 5 of them and was wounded himself" he sighed. "The military cross........was the downgrade. He was put forward for the victory cross for his actions across his time in India but it was downgraded by horse guards to a military cross"

"Bloody horse pansies!" Bill blurted out, before realizing the company he was in and rather flustered, he added: "I'm sorry. Please pretend that didn't happen."

William laughed "trust me we've called them worse." He finished the beer "such a shame aswell as John deserved that VC. But now we come to the future. As I've said because of his jury he's merely acting as my second in command and overseeing the garrison as my aid. No front line duties for him. Better than him sitting rotting in a training garrison for his last job with the regiment. It's completely safe over there. We are just peace keeping."

"I appreciate it, sir. I really do," Bill said warmly. "I'm proud of 'im, of course. More than proud, if sumt like that exists. But we've been so worried about 'im all these years. It's been hard on me wife especially. I don't want to see 'er going through it again. I don't know how to thank you for your kindness in protecting 'im."

William smiled "truth be told. There is no need to thank me. While he has had an eventful past. I believe people have good in them. I know he wants out of the army and doesn't have long to serve. Truthfully the injury won't allow him to sign back up. The army has a way of recruiting from poverty stricken areas and I would rather see him fill his ambition on his return than simply waste away into nothingness. You've raised a good kid. And I intend to send him back to you better than I recieved him. The other reason I've picked him is I needed a company sargeant major. He was the best choice and I'd rather send him back having served on a better wage than he did in India. He also doesn't know it yet but I've recieved word this morning that he has also been accepted to do his tailoring course in the army. So he will leave with qualifications. I intend to send him back home to you and his mother in better condition than I found him not so long ago Mr Blacke"

It wouldn't be hard to return John in a better condition than the army found him. Bill had once feared that his son would either end up in prison or dead. But here John was, winning medals, getting a decent wage, and even being offered a course. Once this mission was over, John might actually settle down. It was still hard to imagine. "Well, I'm thankful anyway," he said. He picked up his bottle and opened it. "To you and the army, for sorting him out and giving him opportunities. Sergeant Major... To think there was a time the station didn't even want him as a porter."