REPUTATIONS: Admiral Sir William Milbourne James
Admiral Sir William Milbourne James is more famous for being the boy in the Pears’ soap ad than saving 200,000 Allied lives. Jane Hall sets the record straight
“This formidable naval commander never managed to shake off his youthful nickname of ‘Bubbles’”
Operation Dynamo and the Dunkirk evacuation is one of the most well documented events in World War Two history. Yet another rescue mission, Operation Aerial, receives scant attention despite having saved the lives of more than 200,000 Allied servicemen, civilian evacuees and refugees. This was Admiral Sir William Milbourne James’ finest hour.
Between June 15-25, 1940, James commanded Operation Aerial to evacuate Allied troops from Cherbourg and St Malo in France. He also took charge of the rescue campaign from Brest, Saint-Nazaire and La Pallice that ran in parallel to the Dunkirk evacuation.
Yet despite his heroism, James was probably more famous with the public as being the boy from the famous Pears’ soap ad. As a result, this formidable British naval commander, politician and author, who served with distinction in two world wars, never managed to shake off his youthful nickname of ‘Bubbles’ – or ‘Si…
