Donald Morgan was born on 21 Sep 1922, the second child of William Henry Morgan and Emma Ida Palmer. He had one older sister Winnifred Gladys Morgan, who had been born eleven years earlier on 13 Aug 1911.
Donald and Winnie Morgan, 1923. Photo by W.E. Wright & Sons, Forest Gate & Branches
This page contains a sample of some photos from his childhood when the family lived at 129 Empress Avenue, Ilford and before they moved to nearby 52 Selborne Road. Most are taken on holidays notably on the Isle of Wight and Dovercourt (near Harwich)
Donald attended Cranbrook College in Ilford – firstly in the preparatory school and then at the main school.
In Autumn 1939 he took up articles with his father’s firm of Morgan Back and Co. There he worked for approximately two years until he was called up in 1941.
It would seem initially he joined the Royal Artillery – he is described as a Gunner in one document and went on courses on shell trajectories and range finding. This did not seem to last long before he was transferred to the Intelligence Corps and was promoted to Warrant Officer II – a non commissioned rank. Photos show him with three stripes on his arm indicating this was the equivalent rank of Sergeant.
After a number of further courses in Yorkshire and Bedford he was selected to go to work at Bletchley Park to work on Japanese Naval Intelligence.
At the end of the war he was sent to India returning in October 1946. After his father’s death in April 1947 he took up the mantle of Morgan Back and Co and became a fully qualified Chartered Accountant in 1949.
