Fire-watching at St. Paul's in a family recollection

Clarke recalls a grandfather whose lung condition prevented him from passing the medical examination for regular service. He undertook fire-watching at St. Paul's Cathedral in London and work with the Home Guard. He also ran cross-country to help his breathing and won some competitions, yet remained medically barred from joining the regular forces. He passed on his shooting skills to the next two generations of the family. The story illustrates how medical exclusion could coexist with practical skills and demanding wartime civilian duties. A friend with a senior connection to fire-watching is recalled tentatively as the route into that work, which did not require the same medical examination.