middle-class life, and he loved it. He returned to London with a new, vowel-elongated accent. In 1944, aged 18, he was called up to the British Army. He became a sapper in the Royal Engineers Survey Section, doing much the same work that he did as a civilian. When the war ended he was in Ceylon and he opted to transfer to the Combined Services Entertainment Unit, which put on revue shows. While in that unit he met Stanley Baxter, Peter Vaughan, Peter Nichols and John Schlesinger. Both of Williams' parents were from Wales and Williams would described himself as Welsh, noting his parents' surnames and origins in his diaries and in interviews. In 1968, during the filming of Carry On Up the Khyber in Snowdonia National Park, Williams stated that "I always like being back in Wales" I always feel a hiraeth, it always comes back to you, once you step back into the place where you have atavistic memories." A year later, Williams would describe a debate in Ireland when he was told he had some nerve showing his "English face in Dublin". Williams dramatically responded with a "very slow take and riposted 'Wanna get your facts right dear, I'm Welsh'" before rising to his feet and reciting The Bard. A Pindaric Ode by Thomas Gray. Williams noted that this performance was cut short by applause, for which he was grateful as he did not know any more of the poem. Two years before his death Williams guest hosted the Wogan chatshow, drawing the audience's attention to a display of red roses Williams commented "It’s St George’s Day today and the rose is the symbol of St George, the patron saint of England. I wouldn’t know anything about it. I’m not English, I’m Welsh." before proclaiming "Mymryn bach o Gymru, Cymru fydd, Cymru sydd – Cymru am byth!" () Despite this, he disliked nationalism. Career Early career Williams's professional career began in 1948 in repertory theatre. Failure to become a serious dramatic actor disappointed him, but his potential as a comic performer gave him his break when he was spotted playing the Dauphin in Bernard Shaw's St Joan in the West End, in 1954 by radio producer Dennis Main Wilson. Main Wilson was casting Hancock's Half Hour, a radio series starring Tony Hancock. Playing mostly funny voice roles, Williams stayed in the series almost to the end, five