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SCHOOLBOYS’ MEMORIES OF WORLD WAR II — PART FOUR

FROM A SCHOOLBOY’S DIARIES

RICHARD MILWARD (1931-42)

1939 War started 3 weeks before start of new school year. No thought of evacuation. Instead College took over buildings of Oakhill School, just below Donhead, and used it as boarding house for boys living some way away. Run by Mr. Ross (History teacher) and his wife, a nurse. Most boys seem to have come back to College, so numbers did not drop below 200. Only changes - last period in afternoon dropped because of black-out. No after-school activities - plays, concerts, academy, games practice

1940 Air raids on Wimbledon started on 18 Aug during school holidays - Rosewell (Syntax ?) killed in air raid. From early Sept., raids both day and night.

23 Sept New school year with changed times because of raids. 9.30 Mass in chapel for those who came early. Morning classes. 15-20 minute break. Afternoon classes - often ended with benediction. Wednesday - full day schools as no games. No Saturday morning schools.

Just as school started, sirens went. So for first time all classes went to shelters - basement rooms under old buildings, all shored up with large wooden beams. Each class had its own room. At first we just chatted. But later most classes below 6th form told to take books down and lessons were organised. 6th form expected to study on own. In fact we played pontoon and cribbage.

Over the next week, there were ten breaks during air raids:

24 Sept Sirens went off at 8.30 All clear 9.20 getting ready to walk to school
11.50 12.30 to shelters - ‘no lessons’
25 Sept 10.15 12.10 ‘very boring in shelters’
26 Sept 11.30 12.00
27 Sept 9.00 9.55 late for school
11.45 12.50 off home for lunch
3.00 3.50
30 Sept 9.15 9.50
10.15 10.40 going home for lunch
1.20 2.15

2 Oct Went to a lecture in Wimbledon on how to deal with incendiary bombs. Saw a Messerschmidt on show in front of Wimbledon Station

11 Oct In Latin class, Mr. Collins (a young graduate who served in Observer Corps at night) explained a 'secret weapon' (It was probably radar, which we hadn't heard of before).

12 Oct Went to see air raid damage in Worple Road - 'terrible' (It was probably houses to west of Arterberry Road)

Rest of term: Day raids continued off and on, even into December. Every day there were several warnings, disrupting classes. But far worse were the heavy raids almost every night, starting at 6.30 pm and going on into early hours. The most terrifying part was not the German bombs but the English AA fire from guns on Prince George's Fields in Raynes Park, and huge naval guns near the Windmill. The noise as they 'bored' their way up was bad enough, but they hit nothing and showered the roofs, ground and roads with jagged pieces of shrapnel and huge nose cones. Yet my diary shows that only on one night did I sleep badly - and we stayed in our beds, praying hard !

9 Dec I tried to go up to London by train 'Impossible as Waterloo was closed'.

1941 - Easter Term

Mon 13 Jan School restarted after night raid with lots of heavy gunfire. 1st period: History with Mr. Ross. 'Causes of War' (I assume 2nd WW) He was terrible - most of dates and facts wrong' !! Alan Ross had helped make me interested in History in Grammar and Syntax, but in 6th Form his teaching suffered from looking after Oakhill. Increasingly I relied on my own reading and on Fr. Sinnott who began to take us during the term.

21 Jan At the end of school, Councillor Drake gave a talk in the Hall on War Weapons Week. He was a very boring speaker - and later became Mayor.

23 Jan School went to church for Requiem for Fr. Ingram, Rector, who died at end of 1940. He was a keen cricketer and was said to have hit a six over the New Buildings into the playground from the square in the middle of the field !

28 Jan On way back to school in afternoon, sirens went. Heard German planes and AA gunfire. We always went home for lunch - far better than school lunches ! Typical menus my poor mother managed to provide for three growing boys and sister - Meat, potato, carrots or cabbage and blancmange or tapioca - or pea soup, jam pudding, cheese etc.

5 Feb War Weapons Exhibition at the College 'It was very good'.

14 Feb Heavy German raid at night. Lot of planes, AA fire. 'Saw big fire to West. Lot of incendiaries in Shannon Corner area' and in Wimbledon Park.

7-12 Mar Lot more night raids, but none in second half of month. Classes: lot of double periods. For French we had Fr. Brannigan who was a very efficient, interesting teacher. And for History, Fr. Sinnott was first-class.

1941 - Summer Term

Mon 28 Apr School restarted Change of timetable: Morn. 9.30-12.50 with no early Mass; Aft. 2.15-4.15

3 May Saturday schools back for first time since summer 1939. Wednesday back to half-day.

9 May (night) German plane brought down by Beaufighter on first fairway of Royal Wimbledon Golf Course. 'Heard its dive and saw big glow as it blew up - terrifying'. Raids soon tailed off as Germany preparing for attack on Russia, but some even in early June.

27 May Talk on Economic Warfare by OW, Mr. Corbett-Palmer - 'very interesting'.

1941 - Christmas Term

Tues 11 Nov At 9.30 read our Roll of Honour in Chapel (with first deaths of 2nd War added).

1942 - Easter Term

Sat 7 Feb
Holiday for Baynham winning George Medal (for saving airman from drowning).

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