Before reading the memories of British writer Reg Dolphin as recorded below by his nephew William Smith, let me suggest  that you first read Jonathan’s review of the former’s short story “Off the Map” (Weird Tales, July 1954), along with a lengthy list of comments on Mr. Dolphin’s writings.
   

   Reginald Charles Dolphin (13.03.1915 – 05.02.1990). Reg Dolphin was my uncle

   Reg was born at ‘The Elms’, Crabbe Common, Wadborough, Worcester on 13th March 1915. The birth took place at the house of his aunt and uncle, Edith and Robert Cruse (my great aunt & uncle).

   Reg was the first child to be born of Charles Biddle and Amy Beatrice Dolphin (née Palfrey).

   His siblings were Phyllis Gwendoline (my mother) 10.10.1916 – 10.07.2020, Muriel Beatrice 30.03.1918 – 28.02.2002. There was also a half-brother William Henry Dolphin (29.02.1908 – 28.07.1982) who was the only child of Reg’s father’s first marriage. The mother died soon after the birth, and Reg’s father married again — to Amy — in 1914.

   Reg lived in Coventry soon after his birth, which probably explains why he was born in the home of his mother’s sister. His father and the family went to Coventry as his father had secured a job with Daimler working in the factory during WW1.
Then in 1925 the family returned to Worcestershire (Charles and Amy originated from Pershore) and they lived in Pershore in a house belonging to Reg’s grandfather.

   In 1929 Reg moved with his family to Wadborough to ‘Sunnyside’ (where I also was born and lived 1945-1968)– a terraced cottage built by the estate of Lord Coventry for Railway workers. Reg was educated at Eckington School and then at the Royal Grammar School, Worcester.

   After school he was employed in the accountancy dept in a furniture shop in Birmingham, where he lived in lodgings. Then he was called up in WW2 –joined the Royal Engineers and then transferred to the REME for the duration.

   He met a girl – Irma van Kerkoven – in the NAAFI and married her during the war.

   After the war he and Irma lived at 13, Meadow Way, Hyde Heath, Amersham, Bucks. This was his home –and Irma’s- till their deaths. They had 2 children, Tony and Liz (my cousins). After the war Reg worked for Sobell in Slough. The firm made radios.

   I saw Reg and family every year until I left home in 1968. They came to stay every year with us in Wadborough. It was where Reg grew up.

   We knew that Reg was a writer. I remember the first Sexton Blake 64pp. 1/- book that came out. He sent us a copy. I remember seeing this and the subsequent other 64pp 1/- books as they appeared on the shelves of W H Smith bookstall at Worcester Shrub Hill railway station on my way to the Grammar School in Evesham.

   My grandmother, Reg’s mother was thrilled at his writing (she wrote snippets to various publications –recipes, hints etc. and so I suppose what Reg did was somewhere in the family blood).

   Sadly, when my grandmother died in 1962, Reg and his family only came to Wadborough to see his sisters — and the house where he grew up — a few times.

   We did keep in touch, but after Reg’s funeral his family did not want to keep in touch despite our writing to them. The last time I saw Reg’s wife (my aunt) and my cousins was at Reg’s funeral in Hyde Heath when I took part in the service to read the eulogy.