In amongst the archive of material from the school is a folder containing items from the mid 1940's. In those days the school was the Junior Technical College and during World War II the pupils at the school raised money and made small donations to our armed forces personnel. Students in the Commercial and Engineering Departments raised the money. These were called "comfort gifts" and were often in the form of a book of stamps, enabling the troops to write home. In the folder were the slips of paper recording who the gifts were sent to, and which often have letters attached from the ex-pupil or their family thanking the school for the gift. I will not publish the letters as despite the passage of time, they are still personal. However, there are a number of newspaper cuttings and other items which are shown below. There is also quite a lot of material recording the deaths of former pupils on active service and several indicating that former pupils had become prisoners of war. They show how very young some of these former-pupils were when they died or were taken prisoner.
It makes interesting, but difficult reading, and I found this a very moving folder.
Douglas R Revitt
This former pupil was in the RAF and sent a Christmas card to the school in 1943 after receiving a gift from the school (shown on the left below) with the message removed. He was killed in active service a few months later. There is an article from the newspaper on the right.
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Malcolm John Hudson
He joined the RAF and was a sergeant flight engineer. He did not return from a flight over enemy territory on 15th March 1943. He was injured and taken a prisoner of war. He died as a prisoner in July 1943.
Alan Jacobs
He was a sergeant pilot in the RAF in fighter aircraft. He was killed in a flying accident on active service on the 2nd February 1941.
Ronald T Penny
He was in the RAF as a sergeant observer in a bomber squadron. He was killed in enemy action on the 25th August 1940.
Terence John Whiteley
He was in the merchant-navy and was a radio officer. His ship was sunk rapidly on 28th September 1942, while on his first voyage. They had been on a long voyage, leaving the UK to sail round the Cape to the Persian Gulf and they were on the return journey via Jamaica when the ship was sunk. There were very few survivors.
Norman Leslie Eastlove
He was a pilot in the RAF. He was killed in a flying accident in October 1944.
Frank Walden
He was in the army and was killed in action in July 1944.
John Sydney Jones
He was in the army in the Royal Artillery. He was killed in action in Italy in July 1944.
Sydney Jenson
He was in the RAF. He was still training as aircrew when he was killed in July 1943.
Peter Ashley Noel
He was in the RAF and was a sergeant air gunner. He was killed in action in 1943.
Roger Phipps
He was in the RAF. Missing, believe killed on operational duties March 1944.
M
R Hopking
He was in the RAF and had only just finished his training. He was killed at the age of 19 in September 1944 in a flying accident.
F H Mead
He was a flight sergeant in the RAF and was taken prisoner after only two months active flying. He was released at the end of the war and attended a tea party at Buckingham Palace for released prisoners of war. (see cutting below)
George Bowtell
He was a Lance-Bombardier in the Royal Artillery. He died in Singapore while a Prisoner of War. (see cutting below)
D E Day
He was in the RAF. He was posted as missing in action in October 1943. (see cutting below)
Douglas A Pickering
He was in the RAF and was killed in action in June 1944. (see cutting below)
David Leonard Pullen
He was in the Fleet Air Arm. He was posted missing in May 1944 and later the same year a grave was found in Norway. (see cutting below)
Albert James
He was in the RAF as a sergeant and was a wireless operator and air gunner. He was killed in an air accident in January 1945. (see cutting below)
Ray J Robinson
He was in the RAF and underwent flying training in Canada. He was reported missing. Date and outcome unknown (see cutting below).
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