St Edward's 150 Years - by Nicola Hunter

St Edward’s: 150 Years

Chapter 6 / St Edward’s and the Wars

Above: George Maurice Gerald Gillett (A, 1894–1901). Right: Oswald Charles Blencowe (E, 1902–8).

Left: George Howard Bickley (A, 1906–11). Above: Charles Sherriff Ranson (C, 1909–15).

(B, 1902–9), whose son was born in 1916: when asking Sing to be godfather he wrote, ‘I could wish no better friend or advisor.’ The boy was christened David Beaumont Bailey, the middle name coming from the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel, in which his father was fighting at the moment of his birth. Hardly surprisingly, as the conflict continued, some of the letters reflected the weariness of those involved in the war. While there was no complaining, the details of wounds and

loss of comrades tell the sad story of a long war in the trenches – a war of attrition. At the end of the war the flu epidemic that attacked the weakened population of Europe did not spare the School. The Sanatorium and dormitories were filled with 115 boys, while two Tutors, two resident masters, the Matron, nearly all the house servants, and even the Warden also caught it. Only 14 boys avoided infection. In March 1919 the School received a letter from the War Office expressing their appreciation of the great work done by the OTC – this was published in full in the Chronicle . The grieving families of the St Edward’s community had suffered hugely, including former Warden Hudson: of his two sons killed, the body of Thomas, lost in 1915, was never found. However, the long and miserable war, with its immense toll, was finally over.

Letter to former Warden Sing from E.C.R. Hudson, another son of former Warden Hudson.

Science School to replace the existing Laboratory and, if funds allowed, to build new dormitories and classrooms, which were needed due to the School’s expansion in the years of the war. The Calvary was completed in 1919 and dedicated by the Archdeacon of Oxford, who was also a Governor of the School, on Commemoration Day 1920. While the total number of OSE lost during the war is difficult to be absolutely precise about, Wilfrid Cowell, in a survey of the Great War found amongst his papers, gives a number of 120 dead, including three teaching staff, and another 119 wounded. Cowell’s figures have been found to be accurate: his 19 years as Editor of the Chronicle included

the whole period of the war, and he was also heavily involved with the production of four editions of the School Roll. In the School Archives are folders of letters found amongst Warden Sing’s personal papers after his death . The letters are from OSE and masters serving in the trenches to their former Warden , whom they clearly respected and regarded as a personal friend. Most are on thin paper and written in pencil; they are poignant documents, extracts from some of which are reproduced in this chapter. Sing was asked to many weddings of those going off to the front, most of which he politely declined, but he was also asked to be godfather to OSE children and that he usually accepted. One example was Bernard Francis Bailey

Above: John Henry Farquhar Wilgress (D, 1890–4). Right: ReginaldCrommelinPopham Blyth (A, 1887–96).

Above: Part of a letter to ex-Warden Sing from H.F.D. Sewell with a donation for the memorial Calvary. Right: Dedication of the Memorial Calvary, 1920.

Geoffrey de Havilland (E, 1898–9).

Louis Arbon Strange (E, 1905–7).

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