Michael Gilbert

Michael Francis Gilbert (July 17, 1912 – February 8, 2006) was a British lawyer and author of crime fiction mysteries. 2Early life and education Gilbert was born on 17 July 1912 in Billingshay, Lincolnshire, England to father Bernard Samuel Gilbert, a writer, and mother Berwyn Minna Cuthbert. From 1920-1926, Gilbert attended St. Peters school in Seaford, East Sussex and Blundell's School in Tiverton, Devon from 1926–1931. Following graduation, he attended London University to study law but was unable to finish due to financial concerns. After becoming a schoolmaster for Cathedral School in the Close at Salisbury, Gilbert returned to studying law, receiving his degree in 1937 and graduating with honors. It was at this time that he began to work on his first mystery novel, Close Quarters. 2Military service When England became involved in World War II, Gilbert joined the Honourable Artillery Company, serving in North Africa and Italy. In 1943, he was captured and taken as a prisoner of war in northern Italy near Parma. Along with another soldier, he was able to escape after the Italian surrender, with their escape involving a five-hundred mile journey south to reach the Allied line