My Dear Old Boys

Every now and then we have a special day in School. Today will be special. Not only will Years 7-9 have a carousel of activities about WW1 and the whole School have a WW1 inspired lunch, but this afternoon we welcome some of our Old Boys’ relatives to Chapel for a Remembrance Service – a service which, if anything like the service held in 2014, will be poignant,  moving and bring the community closer together.

In addition, at some point today, the finished book will be delivered to School and I will be able to see it for the first time. Exciting times. I can’t wait to share it with other people.

September 1916 was a difficult month for the School and George Corner in many ways. The Battle of the Somme raged on and news of casualties and wounded soldiers was received frequently. For Wellington School, September 1916 would mark the passing of three of its Old Boys.

Lieutenant Arthur James Bowerman was only 20 years old when his plane was shot down by German aircraft. Though hit on the German side, he was able to glide back into the British lines where his plane crashed near Contalmaison. He was killed instantly. He was only 20 years of age.

2nd Lieutenant Philip Henry Rowe  joined up in 1914 and went to France in March 1915. Wounded in July, he was sent back to England in December 1915 to recover. He went back to France in July 1916 having been given a commission with the Middlesex Regiment. He was involved in very heavy fighting. There is a little confusion as to the date of his death but it is believed he fell on 16th September near Combles. He was 23 years old.

Major Ernest John Brooks was a member of the Canadian Infantry. He was respected by his men and proved to be a very good leader. He quickly moved through the officer ranks as the Battle of the Somme progressed. Brooks was involved in the fighting at Courcelette and was killed when a shell landed near him as he was reading a map. He was 38 years old. His widow struggled to deal with his loss.

2nd Lieutenant Colin Graham Gordon was killed leading his men in an advance on 1st July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme. He was  25 years old.  He was featured with the other 19239 men who died on the 1st July 1916 in Rob Heard’s ‘The Shrouds of the Somme’ which was first displayed in Exeter in 2016.  A shroud was purchased in Gordon’s name and now resides in  Chapel.

Well, after three months of intense work, drafting, re-drafting, editing, checking and amending, the proofs of the book have been signed off and it is currently with the printers. All being well, it will be with me by the end of next week, if not a little earlier. Exciting times.

Percy Farrant was born in Hemyock and is the only one of our Old Boys buried on British soil. His war grave is in Hemyock Cemetery.

Farrant was training with the Inns of Court Officer Training at Lincoln’s Inn, London when he was taken ill in June 1916. He had survived a bout of scarlet fever and hospitalization in February of the same year and was getting back to training when he was struck down by acute appendicitis. Tragically, it was too late to save him and he passed away on 30th June 1916, at the age of 26. He was survived by his wife, Ethel.