Alfriston Clergy House of the nascent, but unknown, National Trust to see if it might be interested in taking on the Clergy House. The SPAB put him in touch with Canon Rawnsley, one of the National Trust's founders. Before the Trust decided to acquire the building another founder of the Trust, Octavia Hill, contacted the Society for advice. In her letter she said that they "will be asked to 'restore' it, so far as that odious word means preserve from decay of course we should wish to do so." This dislike of damaging 19th century restoration practices was confirmed by the National Trust
Jimmy Rawnsley year had downed four more enemy aircraft. On the 26 October 1943, after flying over 200 sorties with Cunningham and having been his radar operator during the downing of 17 enemy planes he was awarded a Distinguished Service Order (DSO). In 1957 Rawnsley published (with Robert Wright) a memoir detailing his wartime career in the book "Night Fighter". Covering his partnership with Cunningham, it gives a clear insight into the methods the pair used to find and down enemy aircraft. Jimmy Rawnsley Flight Lieutenant Cecil Frederick "Jimmy" Rawnsley (16 March 1904 – 12 February 1965) was a Royal Air Force