Early Life
Silvester was born the second son of a vicar in Wembley, Middlesex. He was educated at Ardingly College, St. John's School, Leatherhead and John Lyon School, Harrow, from all of which he absconded. In September 1916 he enlisted in the British Army during the First World War and served as a private in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He lied about his age to the recruiting authorities, stating this as 20 when in fact he was only 16. He took part in the Batte of Arras in April/May 1917, and also was a member of five execution squads, where deserters, some no doubt suffering from shell-shock, were shot. Once his age was discovered, he signed up with the First Aid Service and served in France until June 1917. At the age of 18, he re-joined the Army though it does not appear that he served overseas. In his autobiography, written later in life, he made claims to have been in Italy and at the mutiny at Étaples. This may have been a fiction on his part. All the same, the episode was apparently incorporated into the BBC series The Monocled Mutineer.
After the war he studied at Worcester College, Oxford for a year. He decided to resume a military career when he was offered a place at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, but he quickly decided it was not for him. He also studied music at Trinity College, London, having already had private piano lessons as a child.
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