A Man Who Kept the Lights On

I have been in contact with my dad’s cousin Graham and his wife Linda in New Zealand on and off for 20 years sharing old family photos, research and stories, mainly about ancestors long since passed. I have also exchanged the odd email with Graham’s sister Jaine who I once visited with my family as a child on her farm on the North Island.

After a prompt from my dad’s brother Alan, I recently reached back out to Graham, who had suffered some recent health problems, to ask if he’d like me to write up the life of his father, my great-uncle, Ted Ball. Linda had already done much of the hard work collating information and photos, but they were both very happy for me to pull everything together into a written biography.

I had always been interested in the vague mentions of Ted being involved at Dunkirk and an adventurous life seemingly in contrast to his brother (my grandfather), Ron. I knew that Ted had worked for a time in Brazil and ended up in New Zealand, but not much more.

In the end, although the details of Ted’s naval career and later professional life were fascinating to research, it was the personal memories and reflections from Graham which really brought Ted to life. There were rumours and revelations I wasn’t expecting (some omitted from this published account to protect the privacy of those still living) and I feel privileged to have been trusted to write Ted’s story. I hope it does him justice.