Jimmy Grafton

He served in World War II as an officer in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment and was awarded the Military Cross for his actions during Operation Market Garden.

The pub served as a meeting place for many comedians, including Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe, Peter Sellers and Michael Bentine.

He was awarded a Military Cross for his actions during Operation Market Garden,[4] where he had been involved in hand-to-hand fighting; he also requested an artillery barrage on his own position because it was being overrun by German tanks.

[7] In addition to his duties as a publican, Grafton was also a Westminster city councillor and later a scriptwriter for the comedian Derek Roy,[8] for use in the series Variety Bandbox.

[13][a] With the four comics spending time at the pub, and with Grafton scriptwriting for an increasing number of people, the hostelry attracted an increasing number of friends from radio and show business, including Terry-Thomas, Jimmy Edwards, Dick Emery, Tommy Cooper, Kenneth More, Beryl Reid, Clive Dunn, Graham Stark,[16] Tony Hancock and Larry Stephens.

[25] He died in Chichester, West Sussex,[26] on 2 June 1986, at the age of 70;[23] a memorial service was held at the Military Chapel of the Chelsea Barracks on 22 September that year.