Billy’s War

By Tony Whelpton

“Billy's War (2014) had me hooked instantly, and young Billy stole my heart...”
What can being at war mean to a nine-year-old? Not much, you might think, but if the boy in question is a war orphan...
The date was Thursday 8 May 1941. Britain had been at war with Nazi Germany for 19 months. Billy Frecknall was only nine years old, but what a character he turned out to be! Like many boys of his age, Billy to all intents and purposes no longer had a Dad, because his father had enlisted in the army in the early days of the war, and Billy and his Mum didn’t even know where he was. But that night saw the biggest air raid Billy’s home town of Nottingham had experienced - an air raid which the author experienced personally and recalls vividly - and there were many casualties, including Billy’s Mum. Billy was fortunate to survive, but life as an orphan, especially an orphan being brought up in an apparently hostile family, left a lot to be desired.
What could a little boy in that situation do? Grin and bear it? That would be the only option for many. But what if the little boy in question is resilient, resourceful, intelligent and, above all, driven? Driven by a desire which becomes an obsession, and aided by the innocence of a child of his time, which meant that he trusted everyone until he had reason to think otherwise, he sets off to find his Dad.
In the course of his quest he faces up to many obstacles that would have caused a less resourceful boy to blanch and give up, but he doesn't - and he is blessed also with a charisma that makes most people he encounters take his side without hesitation.
If you read his story, you'll quickly see why Billy captures so many hearts and, with all the odds apparently stacked against him, wins his war.
The sequel to Billy's War, called There's No Pride In Prejudice, was published in 2016.