Before going to North America Charles had been responsible for securing bad debt in Germany for R A Lister, during that country’s period of hyper-inflation. Always the pragmatist Charles settled debt at 40% of its value in marks. In order to try to protect the value of the funds repaid he invested in German property including a hotel in Bavaria of dubious repute. Charles saw at first-hand the rise of the Nazi Party and used the company's assets in Germany to assist those trying to rescue Jewish families from Germany and Austria by bribing officials. Charles had two Jewish daughters in Vienna whom he had been unable to rescue. However, back in England in 1939 he was able to get the Austrian governess (a Miss Simpkiss) of his second family to the continent. He and the rest of the family packed her suitcase with clothes in which they stuffed huge quantities of cash. This mission proved successful and all returned England just before the outbreak of World War II.