Characters such as Slim tend to acquire a number of apocryphal stories, but this story is indubitably true: Whilst attending St Philip's Grammar School, Birmingham, he made friends with a boy named Philip Pratt. The friendship continued by regular correspondence well into adult life, to the time when Philip Pratt had been called up in WW2 as a private soldier and Slim was a general. One day Philip Pratt was called before his commanding officer to explain why he had put into the post a letter addressed to the C-in-C - if he had any complaint to make there were official channels, without the impropriety of writing direct to the highest authority. Philip coughed politely and explained that it was not a complaint, but just a cheery note to his old friend; "If you look inside, sir, you will see that it starts, "Dear Bill", and ends, "Yours, Philip". Collapse in embarrassed consternation of the Commanding Officer. I knew Philip Pratt, and I once met Slim, although I did not discuss the story with the, by then, Field-Marshal.
Ditto: Great story Drayton. You would thik that Philip would not be singled out for any harsh treatment in the future after that meeting! Cheers Geoff
