At age 8 dad contracted Diphtheria from a friend, who had wanted to show him a German helmet. At the time you were put into quarantine where not even your family were allowed to see you for 6 weeks. Only the priest and medical staff were allowed in. The boy reinfected dad at the end and so he was in there for 12 weeks (sadly dad's boyhood friend died). This had a big impact upon William, as you might imagine during the first weeks of World War 2.