My father and I were like ships in the night, on the sea of life.

William Charles Lossl (Charlie) was born in 1910 in Versailles, France. He came to London as a young boy after a harrowing refuge journey during WW1. He met my mother, Emma Heitmann and they married in 1933. By a quirk of nature, I was born in 1957, when my parents were approaching 50. My father died in 1977 when I was just 20-years-old.

I am one of the last in the generation, who knew someone who lived through WW1. In fact both my parents lived through this horrendous epoch.

I love history and firmly believe that understanding our ancestors journey through life, empowers our lives today.

When I was a child, my dad told me snippets of his childhood, his ordeals through the two World Wars. As an adult seeking to understand my parents after their passing, I began to research their history. Meticulous study of the archive record and, the social and economic history of the time, revealed an inspirational family story of resilience. I feel as if I have now, come to know my father. My heart fills with love and respect for this amazing man. He lives on, in the pages of my novels.

Picture of Charlie Lossl circa 1928. He lived in Swedenborg Street in London and was an apprentice butcher. The original B&W has been coloured using the Photomyne app.