The colourful career of the man who played a harmonica at Dunkirk

11:37am Monday 11th May 2009

By Mike Pryce

THE only downside to this uplifting story is that while the surname is Box, the Christian name isn’t Jack. Because approaching his 91st birthday, Reg Box has more spring about him than any child’s toy.

Not long before our interview at his home in Malvern, Reg had driven the 158 miles – he was quite precise about the figure – to a hotel in Pembroke and back again in his silver Mondeo to entertain the guests.

Wearing an assortment of headgear, he had treated them to his karaoke renditions of hits by Foster and Allen and Max Bygraves, plus a few songs from the First and Second World Wars.

There is never a fee attached to a performance by the self-styled Mr Oldie, but in lieu he accepts donations to the Midlands Air Ambulance and by the end of 2009 he confidentially predicts he will reach his target of £100,000 raised for the charity. I’ll repeat that in case it hasn’t sunk in. One man has raised one hundred grand for one charity.

The Queen invited Reg to tea in recognition, then sadly forgot to speak to him. “She passed down the line, but didn’t stop at me,” he said. “We were told not to speak to her unless she spoke to us first.

It was a shame Her Majesty didn’t pause for a few moments with Reg, because he has some colourful stories to tell, many not associated with fund-raising at all.

Born in Malvern in 1918, he had an assortment of jobs as a lad, including apprentice fishmonger, errand boy and lorry driver’s mate.

But it was when the Second World War broke out the fertiliser hit the fan. As part of the British Expeditionary Force he was sent to France, but was then caught up in the carnage of Dunkirk.

As the Germans strafed the beaches and bombed the aramada of little boats, Reg played his harmonica to keep spirits up.

“I’ve still got that harmonica,” he said, proudly producing it from its original case.

Patched up and reassigned to the Royal Army Ordinance Corps, Reg was then returned to the fray, but this time to the Middle East. To Egypt, Palestine, Syria and North Africa, where he distinguished himself more as a sportsman than an ordinanceman.

A very good footballer, he became the Middle East goalkeeper for the British Army.

“I played against Tom Finney, when he turned out for a combined British Services team, and I played against the Italians in Tripoli Stadium. In the Army team that day were seven of the Arsenal side that had won the FA Cup in 1936.”

During one period of “incapacity”, Reg was flown from Syria to Cairo in Egypt specially to turn out in a game for the British Army Medical Corps against the British Military Police.

He was somewhat amused to find that running the line for the Military Police was one of his old mates from Worcester, Ralph Gwynn, who after the war became the village copper at Rushwick and then a Crown Court usher at Worcester Shirehall.

The reunion led to the following conversation. RG: “What you doing here Boxie? You’re not a doctor.”

When peace broke out again, Reg carried on his football heroics for local sides around Worcester and Malvern, finally hanging up his goalkeeper’s gloves in 1970.

By then he had become a wellknown figure in the county motor trade, working for a number of well-known names like Bowman and Acock, Richmond Garages, Holloways and Clerkenleap Motors.

But outside of the day job, he was making a name for himself as an entertainer, developing the singing talent that saw him a head choirboy in his young days.

Through the late 1960s and early 70s, Reg performed with the concert party of Ray Portman, another well-known figure on the local stage. Then he went solo and ever since has carried on a hectic schedule of charity fund-raising events including singalongs, bingo evenings, auctions and raffles that makes no concession to his advancing years. Neither do the journeys. As well as to the Welsh coast, he has driven down to Bournemouth for a gig.

When his wife of 65 years Gwendoline died in 2003, it spurred him on even more. In his cowboy hat, boater or Army beret and with his remote radio microphone, he entertains his audiences “in memory of Gwendoline”.

he explained. In a talent show at Worcester’s Huntindon Hall he came fourth out of 14 acts.

I left Reg Box as he was preparing for a bingo evening at Malvern Town Football Club. He had spent most of the interview sitting in a chair, but as I went to leave, he got up and walked across the room, needing a stick for the trip. “Oh, I forgot to tell you, I suffer from angina, “he said. “I can only sing for about two hours.”