Jack Dienst was indeed from Brook and self-published 'A Civilian in Uniform' about his wartime experiences. He was Section Fitter for 5 Corps Signals.

Well worth a read if you can find a copy.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=18138458603&searchurl=kn%3Duniform%26sortby%3D17%26an%3Ddienst

It can be less expensive on eBay. Production values are not high and photo reproduction is poor but it's a cracking read.

I met Jack in around 2003? at his self-build cottage in Brook, on the hunt for a WD motorcycle, but alas Jack had sold up all his bikes by then, so I just came away with his excellent and irreverent book. But I did buy my NOS DR helmet from his son who had several up in his attic. If you can find it, Jack's book is well worth a read.

I corresponded with Jack back in my pre-internet period. A smashing bloke. A bit of a chancer in his army days though !



His book was probably not aimed at the politically correct and anyone offended by a combination of Arabs, Gypsies, goats and sexual proclivities in a single paragraph probably didn't ought to read it.

I loaned it to my (later-war) ex Royal Sigs Dad and he sniggered quite a lot whilst reading it.

It's really good on anecdotes around things like tool kit inspections. They were put on fizzers for having too many tools as well as too few.

From a 1940 issue of MOTORCYCLING these tyres look the same tread pattern as the ebay GOODYEAR,I wonder did JOHN BULL supply tyres for the war effort,in the MOTORCYLING and THE MOTORCYCLE only FIRESTONE and DUNLOP seemed to advertise their tyers,GOODYEAR is also closing its factory in Stafford Rd Wolverhamton in early 2017 after being there 90 years,they are moving production to Mexico.