st ay ▁of ▁his ▁Open ▁Air ▁columns , ▁and ▁later ▁his ▁first ▁book , ▁Always ▁a ▁Little ▁Further , ▁which ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁▁ ▁The ▁book ▁documented ▁this ▁social ▁change , ▁which ▁Ken ▁Wilson ▁described ▁as ▁"... as ▁if ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁East ▁End ers ▁had ▁suddenly ▁decided ▁to ▁take ▁up ▁gr ouse - sh oot ing ▁or ▁pol o ," ▁with ▁accounts ▁of ▁enc oun ters ▁with ▁tr amps , ▁t ink ers ▁and ▁ha w k ers , ▁and ▁of ▁h itch ing ▁to ▁Ben ▁Ne vis ▁in ▁a ▁l orry ▁full ▁of ▁dead ▁sheep , ▁all ▁described ▁in ▁B orth wick ' s ▁hum orous ▁style . ▁It ▁became ▁a ▁classic ▁and ▁has ▁never ▁been ▁out ▁of ▁print ▁since ▁its ▁publication . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War ▁B orth wick ▁served ▁with ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁British ▁Army ▁units ▁in ▁North ▁Africa , ▁Sic ily ▁and ▁Western ▁Europe . ▁ ▁Initial ly ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁private ▁in ▁the ▁High land ▁Light ▁Infantry , ▁but ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁O TC ▁experience ▁was ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁commission ed ▁as ▁a ▁second ▁lieutenant ▁on ▁ 2 ▁September ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁However , ▁for ▁some ▁reason ▁this ▁commission ▁was ▁cancel led ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁end ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁commission ed ▁until ▁ 3 ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁by ▁which ▁time ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁lance - cor por al . ▁ ▁He ▁worked ▁mainly ▁as ▁a ▁Battalion ▁Int elligence ▁Officer ▁and ▁reached