Magic at War

Will Ayling was known as The Genie. This was apt, for he was both a magician and rather short in stature. He discovered magic in his late teens, learned his craft as war clouds loomed across Europe, and deployed his organisational skills to produce entertainments for war-weary troops throughout India and Burma. Post-war, he made a significant contribution to the advancement of the art, as a performer, author, collector and leading member of the magic community.     Promotional image for Will Ayling - The Genie (1954) (Source:Will Ayling) Learning magic   William Richard Ayling was born on 2 March 1914 in the port city of Portsmouth on England’s south coast.    As a youngster, Will was both ‘arty’ and a Christian. These two interests combined when he joined the drama group of a local church. He got involved in acting, writing and producing a range of entertainments. When the group put on a variety show, Ayling volunteered to find a magician to join the cast....

A major base for the Royal Navy, Portsmouth was an obvious target for bombing raids by the German Luftwaffe. Between July 1940 and May 1944, the city endured 67 air raids. The raids killed 930 people, injuring many more. Over 6,500 houses were destroyed (nearly ten percent of the total) and a further 6,500 were severely damaged.  Bomb damage on Portsmouth Road in the Southsea area of Portsmouth (Source: Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery)  In one of the three major raids, on 10th March 1941, Ray Wickens was on duty with the city’s Air Raid Precautions (ARP) Casualty Service. Wickens was 32 years old and had served in the Casualty Service for one-and-a-half years. By day, he was an electrical salesman. By night, and at the weekends, he was normally a semi-professional magician. Wickens was a founding member of the Portsmouth & District Magic Circle, when it started in 1938.   Ray Wickens (Source: Portsmouth Evening News) On that night, German high-explosive and incendia...