 Complete the following phrase:  Eric Williams was born at Holmer, Hereford in May 1893, the seventh child of James and Mary Williams who were farmers and hop growers and adopters of steam threshing equipment. His skills as mechanical apprentice at the Commercial Autocar Company 1908-1911 were spotted and he was asked to become one of the first employees of the then nascent A J Stevens  Co., Wolverhampton where he became head of testing and competition driving. After the outbreak of war in 1914 Williams joined the Royal Engineers and was sent to France as part of the Expeditionary Force serving as a despatch rider, where he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal DCM for acts of bravery at 