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Memories of Brighton College, 1939-43
Autumn 2001
I joined Brighton College in September 1939 just after the outbreak of World War II. Although I had no first hand experience of College life in the pre-war years, nothing seemed to alter very much in the school routine except that gas masks became part of one's school uniform on all occasions. National rationing of clothes, food and sweets was introduced and became increasingly severe. We practised Air Raid Drill (sometimes in earnest when the sirens sounded), duly filing down into the miniature range under the Great Hall for safety. This process was rather more comfortable that that proposed the year before when anti-Air Raid trenches had been dug on the bank to the East of the Home Ground.
At this time there must have been some 250-300 boys at the school, which comprised four boarding houses - Bristol, Chichester, Durnford and School - and two day boy houses, Hampden and Leconfield, situated in the "Tin Huts". The latter buildings provided two rooms for each house, both opening immediately off the path outside - a Junior & Senior Common Room out of which a small room was partitioned for prefects, appropriately named "The Horse Box". At the Pavilion end of the Tin Huts, "Mitch", the groundsman, had his workshop where he expertly mended cricket bats and carried an enticing array of new ones.
Dunkirk and the fall of France in 1940 heralded dramatic changes for the school. A large number of boarders were quickly withdrawn by their parents. Durnford was shut down, to be followed soon after by Bristol (the Prep School, subsequently moved into Bristol House). The younger masters started to disappear into the forces, while the older masters gallantly 'soldiered' on and were joined by others brought out of retirement to fill the gaps. Ringing the school bell to change lessons was discontinued since bell ringing was designated as the public warning that a German invasion had begun. The Junior Training Corp figured largely in the school curriculum. In 1939 we 'young soldiers' exercised with proper rifles (SMLE Mk III with 18" bayonets). However, after Dunkirk these were needed urgently for active service and were withdrawn leaving us with wooden replicas.
Other extra curricular activities were introduced - the Engineering Shop, under the guidance of R. E. Lester, was used to machine 'bomb rings' from rough castings. We worked shifts at this activity, which of course intruded into normal school lessons. Parents were recruited, on a voluntary basis, to check the accuracy of the machine rings before they were sent elsewhere for further turning.
Sometimes the nation held 'War Weapons Weeks' or 'Spitfire Weeks' which was to encourage people to subscribe more money for the War effort. On one occasion, we cycled round Brighton on Wall's Ice-cream 3 wheeled cycles selling National Savings Certificates.
Farming was another activity which the school arranged - I remember thinning rows of sugar beet on the Downs one Spring. It was a horribly cold and wet task. Picking fruit at the farming camps under canvas in the Summer holidays was much better. We also helped with the harvesting which involved stacking sheaves of corn before they dried sufficiently to be put into ricks. When we were older (16+) we joined the firewatch rota. Every night a member of staff and one of the pupils would stay awake in case of a fire bomb raid.
An offspring of the War was the Home Guard. The College formed its own platoon consisting of the older boys who were armed with American P4 rifles and this unit occasionally stood guard at the Ballsdean Bottom pumping station. We were commanded by our fearless Padre, Bill Williams, formerly a Royal Naval Chaplain reputed to have served in a gun turret during the Battle of Jutland.
Despite all these diversions, school work did continue somehow and successes in O Levels and A Levels were obtained - although, I cannot remember whether any of my contemporaries went on to university immediately - call up for the forces was just around the corner.
Cricket, rugger and athletics were the main games played with swimming and squash also available. Boxing and fives rather fell by the wayside.
In truth the College was lucky, materially, in not suffering any Air Raid damage; the nearest was, I think, at Kemp Town Station. However, during one raid on Brighton, a cinema was hit and one of our classmates was killed - it had a sobering effect. News would also filter through of former pupils and members of staff, most of whom we knew personally, being lost or taken prisoner.
When I left the College for the Army in 1943, there may have been barely 100 boys left on the Roll.
R.C. Stevens (L. 1939-43)
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