Joseph Percival William Mallalieu (known as `Bill’ or `Curly’) was born in 1908, the son of a Liberal Member of Parliament, and educated at public school and Oxford University, where he became president of the Union. He travelled widely during the 1930s and worked as a journalist. He became a supporter of the -Labour Party during the depression and he had already published two books -before joining the navy. When the war began in 1939 he was sceptical about the aims of the Chamberlain government and registered as a conscientious objector. Then in 1940, `when Churchill formed the National Government with the full support of the Labour Party and when Germany smashed through Belgium, Holland and France and what remained of the British army escaped through Dunkirk; my own previous attitude to the war seemed irrelevant and possibly wrong-headed.’ … He became a Labour MP in the 1945 General Election and later served as Minister of Defence for the Navy, where he was noted for his sympathy for the lower deck. As Sir William Mallalieu, he died in 1980.

Joseph Percival William Mallalieu (known as `Bill’ or `Curly’) was born in 1908, the son of a Liberal Member of Parliament, and educated at public school and Oxford University, where he became president of the Union. He travelled widely during the 1930s and worked as a journalist. He became a supporter of the -Labour Party during the depression and he had already published two books -before joining the navy. When the war began in 1939 he was sceptical about the aims of the Chamberlain government and registered as a conscientious objector. Then in 1940, `when Churchill formed the National Government with the full support of the Labour Party and when Germany smashed through Belgium, Holland and France and what remained of the British army escaped through Dunkirk; my own previous attitude to the war seemed irrelevant and possibly wrong-headed.’ … He became a Labour MP in the 1945 General Election and later served as Minister of Defence for the Navy, where he was noted for his sympathy for the lower deck. As Sir William Mallalieu, he died in 1980.

Joseph Percival William Mallalieu (known as `Bill’ or `Curly’) was born in 1908, the son of a Liberal Member of Parliament, and educated at public school and Oxford University, where he became president of the Union. He travelled widely during the 1930s and worked as a journalist. He became a supporter of the -Labour Party during the depression and he had already published two books -before joining the navy. When the war began in 1939 he was sceptical about the aims of the Chamberlain government and registered as a conscientious objector. Then in 1940, `when Churchill formed the National Government with the full support of the Labour Party and when Germany smashed through Belgium, Holland and France and what remained of the British army escaped through Dunkirk; my own previous attitude to the war seemed irrelevant and possibly wrong-headed.’ … He became a Labour MP in the 1945 General Election and later served as Minister of Defence for the Navy, where he was noted for his sympathy for the lower deck. As Sir William Mallalieu, he died in 1980.