Now, in spite of having to serve his country,  came a bit of good luck . His commanding officer, a woman (Mary Kirkby), heard him sing and decided he would be more use as a British army ambassador. Consequently, Richard was flown out to sing, with just one stipulation... that he wore army uniform.

This gave him invaluable experience, and more importantly, his decision to present the works of Benjamin Britten would eventually have an unpremeditated outcome.

Britten heard that he was singing his "Les Illuminations" and his "Serenade for tenor and horn", arrangements were made to audition him when he was demobbed after Britten received a telegram saying  'young tenor with a lovely voice, who looks good, and has good legs'.

But the war hadn't ended yet. He was still in uniform. He gave recitals, sang in opera ... all good experience, especially Madame Butterfly, Richard singing in Italian, the rest of the cast in Dutch!

Demobbed in 1945, Richard hoped to resume his studies.  Now he was 32. Applying for a grant to the Royal Academy of Music was told he was too old. Norman Allin was by now teaching there He set about rectifying this... soon Richard was offered a grant. He began his studies again.

Click As Richard Lewis to continue