Biography of Author Frank Stanford

Author Frank Stanford was born in the 1920s in the little village of St. Margarets-at-Cliffe, Dover, Kent, England. In 1941 the Standford family moved away from the coast area because the bombing and shelling made it too dangerous to remain there. Frank Stanford's first job at the young age of 14 was as an apprentice painter and decorator with a small building firm. At the age of seventeen years, Stanford joined the regular Army as a volunteer. By 1947 he was out of the Army and returned to his old building firm as a painter and decorator.

In 1949 Frank Stanford married this wife, Dawn. Times were tough, but Frank Stanford was able to land a job at Granada Cinema as a painter, decorator and odd job man. After a year the manager asked Stanford to be in charge of the usherettes and publicity for the cinema. Frank's wife, Dawn, was lucky. She had a free pass to the cinema! Unfortunately, after seven years at this job, the cinema was sold and pulled down to make way for a super store.

Frank Stanford's next just job was working for the Ministry of Defence as a painter and decorator, looking after forty Army officers' furnished houses. Later, when the officers' houses were sold, Frank was out of work again. He worked for himself for a few years, and then Frank Stanford had a complete change in employment. The world famous Marley Roof Tiles Factory decided to build up their own security. Stanford was taken on to head this responsibility, working with the local police of Sevenoaks, Kent, England. Frank Stanford worked there for twenty-five years.

When Marley closed down the factory and offices Frank Stanford looked after the site until it was sold. One of the new owners, Baretts House Builders, asked Frank to stay on as advisor with security while they were building their houses. He spent two years with them and then retired.

Frank Stanford then decided to dedicate his front garden as a tribute to WWII Services as well as post-war veterans, with display boards, a visits' book and flying flags. Stanford started a file system through the years to collect information on WWII veterans. Part of his display honors the American WWII and post-war Forces. Frank was fortunate to become friends with a Battle of Britain pilot, Roy Ford D.F.C. before he passed away a few years ago. Through him Frank was given the file on all the individual Battle of Britain pilots. Anyone requesting service details, please Contact Us and we'll put you in touch with Frank Stanford. He does NOT charge for this service.

One of Frank Stanford's American visitors requested he write to an American Eagle Squadron pilot in Tucson, Arizona, who flew Hurricanes for the Royal Air Force in Java against the Japanese. His name was Red Campbell. If you wish to read Red Campbell's remarkable story, Where Eagles Fly, Remember Me... by R.S. Hunter, click here.