Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Foureyes wrote:There is an excellent paper by HLO Flecker in the CH Museum on his experiences at the school in WW2. It is a fascinating document. For example, in 1940 he had to make very serious plans for what to do if the Germans actually invaded, since the school lay on one of the most likely routes from their landing to London! His fervent hope was that if the Germans invaded they would do so during the holidays!!
:

In my day the flat fields across from Shelleys Wood had high vertical poles to make aircraft landing more dangerous or impossible. I don't know if similar deterrants were raised on the rugby pitches and Big Side

This information about HLOF’s plan for coping with a German invasion is fascinating. What was the essence of his plan?

In the thread “CH and the Armed Services” there is more relevant information, about Basher Jenkins (his DT obit is still available at
( http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituar ... nkins.html ) and Lloyd Whitfield.

Another WW2 career worth studying is that of Keith Douglas (OB and a most renowned WW2 poet). In the very short thread about him there is a reference to a BBC programme, broadcasted on BBC4 on Friday 12 Nov 2010. Does anyone have it? I would much like to read it, but it is no longer available.

There were certainly obstructions laid across Big Side during WW2 known as barricades. The Sports field to the north of the Tuck shop was ploughed up and used to grow vegetables.
When the Japanese overran Malaya in 1942 and there was a consequent shortage of rubber the school were instructed to save on rubber shoe ware
by not walking on the asphalt at any time . Quite how much rubber usage would have been saved by this was not made very clear. This edict did
not apply to P.T. which continued throughout he war,

Another economy measure during the war, which continued till 1950, was the provision of Housey clothes only for those on the UF and above. Those on lower forms wore a white shirt, a mid-brownish patterned jacket and dark brown corduroy shorts.

At least the V.1's were relatively slow and audible.

The V.2, on the other hand....................

At least the V.1's were relatively slow and audible.

The V.2, on the other hand....................

My grandfather, who lived in London the entire war said he never worried about the V2s, since he would be dead before he heard it coming.

J.R. wrote:At least the V.1's were relatively slow and audible.

The V.2, on the other hand....................

My only memory of the war was being shown a V1 in flight

My mum and dad survived a V.1 explosion at shooters Hill, South London, though Dad rarely talked to me about it.

My Dad was involved in the de-fusing/dismantling an un-exploded V.1 after having survived WW1 as a marine and subconded to work in what was then to be called called Bomb Disposal in WW2.

I distinctly remember him talking to me about it when I was about six. He died when I was around eight.

John,
The raid on the Gestapo HQ in Amsterdam was carried out by the RAF and RNZAF at the request of the Dutch resistance and was successful. The HQ was in Shell House which was destroyed, together with the archives, which were what the resistance were worried about.
Unfortunately, one of the very early aircraft hit a lamp-post (which indicates that they were flying VERY, VERY low) spun out of control and crashed into the nearby school, setting it alight, and killing at least some children. The problem was that some of the following aircraft saw the blazing building, mistook it for the target and dropped their bombs on it, adding to the damage and casualties.
Of course it was a tragedy, but if you put yourself in the place of the Mosquito pilots and navigator/observers they were flying at roof-top level, at about 300mph, and attacking a target which was, in essence, one building among a host of similar buildings. Oh, and they were being fired at by anti-aircraft guns. They had, literally, a split second in which to make up their minds, attempt to identify the target and press the bomb release. Tragic - yes; blameworthy - I think not.
David

Ooops! Sorry! My previous e-mail concerning raid contains errors - please ignore in its entirety.
David

Regarding David's "deleted" entry, on the harbour front in Bergen there are the old Hanseatic warehouses (OK a copy of them).. A shopowner there to whom I was talking told me about when the Germans moored an ammunition ship against that quay. An RAF plane bombed the ship setting off a major explosion which totaqlly destroyed the Tyskebryggen - to the delight of the locals, including the previous shop of the man I was talking to.

Foureyes wrote:John,
The raid on the Gestapo HQ in Amsterdam was carried out by the RAF and RNZAF at the request of the Dutch resistance and was successful. The HQ was in Shell House which was destroyed, together with the archives, which were what the resistance were worried about.
Unfortunately, one of the very early aircraft hit a lamp-post (which indicates that they were flying VERY, VERY low) spun out of control and crashed into the nearby school, setting it alight, and killing at least some children. The problem was that some of the following aircraft saw the blazing building, mistook it for the target and dropped their bombs on it, adding to the damage and casualties.
Of course it was a tragedy, but if you put yourself in the place of the Mosquito pilots and navigator/observers they were flying at roof-top level, at about 300mph, and attacking a target which was, in essence, one building among a host of similar buildings. Oh, and they were being fired at by anti-aircraft guns. They had, literally, a split second in which to make up their minds, attempt to identify the target and press the bomb release. Tragic - yes; blameworthy - I think not.
David

Was this not the theme of the film '633 Squadron' ?? This was the low level level raid by De-Havilland Mosquito aircraft.

The film, if memory serves, starred amongst others, David McCallum.

Quite nostalgic to me. One of my Mum's close friends before after my fathers death was a Spitfire pilot who moved onto Mosquito's, doing mainly low level, high speed photographic recon flights, and therefore almost un-armed flights prior to 'D' Day. I still vividly remember his photo albums and scrap-books. Unfortunately, I don't know what ever happened to them, but I would love to be their owner now. I last met Ricky Richardson in 1959, the year after I joined CH when he had just been 'grounded' from flying helicopters because of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Foureyes wrote:John,
The raid on the Gestapo HQ in Amsterdam was carried out by the RAF and RNZAF at the request of the Dutch resistance and was successful. The HQ was in Shell House which was destroyed, together with the archives, which were what the resistance were worried about.
Unfortunately, one of the very early aircraft hit a lamp-post (which indicates that they were flying VERY, VERY low) spun out of control and crashed into the nearby school, setting it alight, and killing at least some children. The problem was that some of the following aircraft saw the blazing building, mistook it for the target and dropped their bombs on it, adding to the damage and casualties.
Of course it was a tragedy, but if you put yourself in the place of the Mosquito pilots and navigator/observers they were flying at roof-top level, at about 300mph, and attacking a target which was, in essence, one building among a host of similar buildings. Oh, and they were being fired at by anti-aircraft guns. They had, literally, a split second in which to make up their minds, attempt to identify the target and press the bomb release. Tragic - yes; blameworthy - I think not.
David

My mistake, I was going on what I had been told at the time.

I have now looked it up and dredged up my faltering Dutch, which I was trying to learn at the evening classes I took in that building.

The school was just around the corner from my house on Minervalaan.

My dentist, Filedt de Kok, (such a lovely name), lived on Gerrit van der Veenstraat.

Apparently from 1942, the school was the SD administrative building where they selected Jews to be taken to concentration camps. Jews were taken there before being shipped off.

On 26 November 1944 it was bombed by the RAF (24 Hawker Typhoons), 69 dead including 4 SD and the SD headquarters had to be moved.

They were the ones who nearly hit my son's school.

They changed the name of the street from Euterpestraat to Gerrit van der Veenstraat in memory of a Dutch Resistance leader.

I must now check all of my anecdotes before going into print.

I am Brian Haynes I was at CH from 1936 Sept to 1943 Dec.
Mr Massen was my German Master. I did get a school prize for my effort due to him
My Kirby was my biology teacher.Extra curricular activities included using the honey from the bees and fallen apples to make a delicious drink !
Mr Avery taught me well in the manual school. I still have the wrought iron companion set I made there.
I DID FORGE AND WOUNDRY AS WELL AS FITTING AND TURNING.
As a group we dismantled a Rolls Royce aero engine , checked all parts for mechanical accuracy and reassembled it, I think kit was a KESTRSAL.
All the rotating tools and lathes were belt driven from a CROSSLY single cylinder gas engine which we
had to learn about starting , running and maintaining. I often wonder where it is now.
All I learnt at CH was very necessary for my initial training in the Royal Navy were the Chief Petty Officer realised my prowess at drilling and rifle drill that he often left me in charge whilst he had a fag.
I was in the LDV (local Defence Volunteer) as a messenger during the school holidays and later on was in
the Home Guard (Dads Army).That was before joining the RN, During ,my service with the RN I became a qualified electrician in Combined Operationa...
The printing and bookbinding I learnt at school was put to good use keeping the AdmiraltyInstructions uptodate....
Must stop waffling...I do hope some of you will find it interesting..I am back to touch typing afters everal years chemotherapy

Martin wrote:Another economy measure during the war, which continued till 1950, was the provision of Housey clothes only for those on the UF and above. Those on lower forms wore a white shirt, a mid-brownish patterned jacket and dark brown corduroy shorts.

I, Brian Haynes was at CH 1936 to 1943 and had the total correct school uniform, right
through the prep school time and the senior school.