Born in 1908, he spent a grim, almost Dickensian childhood in London's Foundling Hospital. At 14, the Army was the only option, and he found himself, in uniform, working towards a career as a bandmaster.

The whole story, much of it heart-rending, would eventually be revealed in an autobiography, Half and Half: The Memoirs of a Charity Brat 1908-1989.

When it was time to leave England, Nalden chose New Zealand over India and Germany, opting for an academic life over that of a bandmaster.