Complex sentence: Johns was born in Pietermaritzburg and grew up in South Africa, where his parents had emigrated, and after serving in the South African navy during World War II, Johns worked for a time in accountancy, but soon became involved in amateur theatre.
Split into simpler sentences: Johns was born in Pietermaritzburg and grew up in South Africa, where his parents had emigrated. After serving in the South African navy during World War II, Johns worked for a time in accountancy, but soon became involved in amateur theatre.