O N E . Y E A R. .O N   (2 0 0 7 )

Recent leavers came back to school in September to meet up with their old friends and some staff, who taught them. Although this is now an annual event on the first Friday of the Autumn Term, next year will be modified in terms of venue, to try to encourage more people to attend.

 

 

T E D D Y   B E A R S   P I C N I C

Many Prep School pupils accompanied their parents and grandparents, some of whom are Old Russellians, to this brand new event held in a marquee on the Chapel Quad on 1st July 2007. All families were given the opportunity to adopt a Russell Bear, to enjoy a barbecue followed by the ever-popular chocolate fountain, and to partake in the many activities on offer.

Vicky Sullivan (nee Hedges) with daughter, Anna Louise, born on 10th July 2006	Aduke Haasz (nee Odunsi) with children, Joshua, Matthew and Emily.
Russell Bears - for sale at £10 each

 

R O Y A L   R U S S E L L    R I V E R S I D E   
R E U N I O N   2 0 0 7

Every picture tells a story …………..

Below are a few pictures that tell the story of Friday 15th June 2007, when a large number of ex Royal Russell pupils gradually took over The Anchor Pub on the River Thames. The evening started quietly with small groups gingerly appearing from around corners and from the local restaurants. One group, from 1956, hadn’t all been together for 50 years! As the sun set over the river, the resounding laughter could probably be heard all across London. The groups grew and grew, and by the time some of us had missed the last train to Croydon, we finished up inside the pub. Everywhere you looked you saw faces you knew, some recognisable, some not at all, but all friendly faces of people you were about to get to know better, and all from Royal Russell School! Thanks to all those who came along and made it such a fun evening and to Jane Bruce for all your messages on Facebook – don’t forget the Masked Summer Ball. Details in the Events Calendar.

 

 

May Reunion 2007 –
Memories and Thanks

ROGER BALLASTER (1945-1954) writes:

50 years or more ago, we were in our teens - concerned with how we were enjoying ourselves without breaking too many school rules, hoping to do well in the imminent examinations, and looking forward to the upcoming summer holidays. At 11.15, on 19th May 2007, once more we shuffled into chapel - grizzled, certainly heavier, some arthritic, but all trying to recognize one another and to remember first names we rarely used 50 years ago.
The service was as redolent as we remembered, but perhaps it only really came to life as we circulated in the erstwhile gym, now library. Memories came flooding back, mysteries were explained, “whatever happened to x?” was the subject most frequently heard. So once again, we were back with people we had not seen often for more than 50 years.
As one who has taken more than 50 years to re-appreciate what OR Day was AND is all about, I want to say “Thank you” to all who attended, as well as those who organized and worked to achieve such a memorable day.

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100 Squadron in Triple Tribute

This Media Release is appearing in RAF and aviation journals

100 SQUADRON IN TRIPLE TRIBUTE -  Media Release (June 2007)

War Hero Honoured with Three Flypasts

Flying Officer Gerald Hood MiD  RAFVR of 100 Squadron was murdered by the Gestapo in March 1945. The full dramatic story of his death after hiding in Holland for seven months has only just come to light in Britain, thanks to new research by former pupils of his school and disclosures by Alan J. Barrow in “The Hornet”.

In May and June this year, the courage of Hood was commemorated at Royal Russell School in Croydon at a reunion of old scholars.  The  Colours of 100 Squadron were placed in the school chapel at a service of remembrance attended by O.C. Wg. Cdr. D.A.C.Legg MBE MA RAF, Richard Ottaway MP, the Mayor of Croydon  as well  as a delegation  from the Netherlands, a 30-strong choir and 130 former pupils and guests.

Navigator Hood, age 23, was shot in a small wood near Almelo in March 1945. He had survived the crash of  his Avro Lancaster Mk.III LM658 on 13th August 1944  and was rescued by the Resistance who delivered him to a ‘safe house’ in  Nijverdal.  Over half a year elapsed. In the following March and just two weeks before Liberation the local SD and SS police raided the house, searching for the student son of the owner who had refused to sign allegiance papers to the Nazis or to join their labour programmes. After two hours of searching, both the student and Hood who had been effectively concealed in the attic, finally surrendered, fearing for the safety of the mother and daughter trapped downstairs in the house. They were then made to cycle under guard the14km to prison.

During six days of Gestapo interrogation, Flying Officer Hood continued to withhold the names of the Resistance workers and other Dutch people who had sheltered and helped him over seven months. Finally he was taken from the jail, believing he would be joining other downed airmen and colleagues at Stalagluft One in Barthe, Northern Germany. Instead the DKW car  was driven just 3km to a small wood in Zenderen. They told him to walk forward and they shot from behind in the lower neck with a 9mm barrel pistol at one metre range. They roughly buried him, but not before stealing his navigator’s watch.

Advancing Canadian troops with the help of the underground later captured and identified the assassins, one still wearing Hood’s navigator’s watch.  They were sentenced at a British Military Court to be executed, their appeal for clemency being denied by Commander in Chief Field Marshal Montgomery. On the day the world’s media focused on the executions at Hamelin of  the  eleven Belsen Camp accused, Albert Pierrepoint the executioner  recorded “Afterwards there were two more Germans to be hanged. They had murdered a Royal Air Force officer and also a young citizen of an Allied nation.”

In the Zenderen wood, a bronze statue of Flying Officer Hood is annually the scene of Remembrance  every Fourth of May. This year Royal Russell School’s Air Force and Army Cadets provided a Guard of Honour there as 200 townsfolk laid wreaths and flowers in tribute, the local band played Elgar and a bugle sounded The Last Post. From the killing spot itself the School were presented on 19th May with a young oak tree. This was brought to the ceremony and dedicated to Gerald Hood’s memory in front of a Netherlands group from the Zenderen Liberation committee.

Piloted by Sqn Ldr Rich Walker with Fg Off Chris Whitehair in the back seat,  a flypast by a Hawk from 100 Squadron completed the ceremony as tributes were paid by Wg. Cdr. Legg and a wreath laid on behalf of the 100 Squadron Association by Greg Harrison and Alan J. Barrow.

Gerald Hood, along with most of his contemporaries at this school in the pre-war years, had been an orphan. In the absence of any known relatives or next-of-kin, the medals due posthumously to Gerald Hood were presented to the Old Russellians.  They in turn asked Wing Commander Legg to pass them  to the School for safekeeping and they were received  by the Headmaster, Dr. John Jennings.

On Saturday 2nd June Avro Lancaster PA474 during its Biggin Hill BBMF debut – and carrying the “HW” codes of 100 Squadron – provided a flypast  over the new oak tree memorial to Fg. Off.  Hood at Royal Russell School and again on the next day, Sunday 3rd June.

Royal Russell School and the Old Russellians have thanked the Commanding Officer and his team for  their “wonderful encouragement and cooperation”. It is hoped that the liaison between squadron and school, now with 850 pupils, will continue to develop, not least among the Combined Cadet Force which is led by Squadron Leader Colin Leggatt.

  E N D

NOTE :
For any further information on Flying Officer Gerald Hood please contact :
Brian Angel FRSA
The Old Russellians
brian.angel@virgin.net

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F L Y - P A S T    B Y    L A N C A S T E R
I N    M E M O R Y    O F   
G E R A L D    H O O D - J U N E    2 0 0 7

The only Lancaster bomber that still exists in the UK (the other being in Canada) flew over the school 3 times, in memory of O.R. Gerald Hood, on Saturday 2nd June 2007. This was a unique opportunity to see this aircraft in flight, so we were grateful for good weather on the day. The preservation of the Lancaster is paramount and it can therefore only fly when the conditions are right - and they were exactly right!

 

M A Y    R E U N I O N

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The May Reunion (a biennial occasion) was the perfect opportunity for some of our veteran members to get together again and to commemorate a very courageous man, Flying Officer Gerald Hood. The Chapel was at capacity with nearly 200 Old Russellians, their guests and members of the school Choir and Choral Society, Governors, together with Officers from the RAF 100 Squadron and guests from Holland. The oak sapling (taken from the wood where Gerald Hood was shot) was dedicated at a special service in the sunshine on Lime Tree Quad, and just as the Chaplain finished the prayers, so the Hawk from RAF Leeming flew over the school – perfect timing. The applause was spontaneous. Following drinks in the Library, the O.R.s were invited for a ‘school dinner’ with wine and afterwards the Headmaster was presented with Gerald’s medals and other memorabilia from the Dutch. The finishing touch to the day was a concert by the school’s Chamber Choir together with String Orchestra performing Dido & Aeneas by Henry Purcell (1659-1695). The perfect end to a perfect day.

From the many emails and thank you letters we have received, this one just about sums up what everyone is saying of this memorable occasion.

It was, as always, a privilege to attend an O.R. Day and to marvel at the
advances that have been made and the achievements won from a lot of hard
work and inspiration. It was equally emotional to see small things that are
still in place unchanged from over 50 years ago - such as the swing doors
into what we knew as the Classroom Block!!

The organisation on Saturday was impeccable. The commemoration ceremonies
for Gerald Hood generated just the right amount of solemnity and praise as
well as creating an atmosphere that quite appropriately lasted the whole
day. Please pass my thanks to all involved.

I was able to meet up with a few people whom I had not seen since leaving
school. Did I ever tell you that we were Best Man/Usher at each others weddings? We have kept in regular contact and this year is the 60th consecutive of our friendship.

I should also like to say how much I appreciate all Julia and Sue are
doing to keep the O.R. Society afloat. The level of communication and interest
being aroused is at its highest level for quite a long time - indeed, for a
very long time! Thank you to you both.

Thank you again for a memorable day on Saturday.

4th   M A Y   L I B E R A T I O N   D A Y   
I N   Z E N D E R E N ,  H O L L A N D

Gerald Hood's Memorial in Zenderen, Holland	Wreath presented by Royal Russell School
Mr Tan Brugge speaking at Liberation Day Service	CCF Contingent Commander Colin Leggatt returning to UK with oak sapling from the wood for dedication at May Reunion on 19th May

F 0 0 T B A L L  R E P O R T  2007

Thanks to everyone who turned up on Saturday 24th March, whether to play or just
spectate and chat. Congratulations to the winners (Elite 07). Well deserved. You boys must have had a good coach when you were younger. Special thanks to the team
captains/organisers - Alex, Adam, Darren, Ben & Chris, Andy, Scott and Mada.

As always The Old Russellians’ sincere thanks go to Steve Greaves and former students for arranging the afternoon and teams.
Below are team photos which can be purchased from Sandra Culbert at sculbert@royalrussell.croydon.sch.uk  More photos will be included in the summer newsletter.

300	Athletico Russell
Dirty Greyhounds 1964	Rocky Horror Show
The Fourteen	U2000s
Elite 07	Real Russell
Inter Kebabs

C H I N E S E . N E W . YE A R  
2 0 0 7: .

The Year of the Pig 

This photo was sent to us on Chinese New Year’s Eve by Irene Young with her baby boy, Max Young.

Despatches - January 2007

FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

Roger Thomas (50-58) writes that he was  “impressed” (excuse me, I’d like to read that again) by “Despatches” in the last Newsletter. Bill Forster (48-58), Colin Barrable (51-56), Dr. John Harrison (47-58) were all his classmates and news of  “longer-term” OR’s such as Tony Ford ((47-58) was also good to read. “Any news of Chris Hirtes (51-58)?”   he asks. Roger and his brother Alan have developed their own hotel (www.peninsulabeachresort.com) in the bliss of Bali where they both spend most of the year. Any OR refugees returning from England’s cricket debacle down under would have found happier times staying chez Roger. But he is coming to the OR Reunion this year to catch up with his contemporaries then.

Talking of cricket, Stewie Williams (57-63) referred to in the last issue, was not only Captain of the 1st Eleven but records show he was also Best Prefect (this column really finds the luminaries). He asks about former master Harry Crispin-Smith. “That man was a wonderful teacher, teaching his pupils like soldiers and, when in the WW2 Burma campaign, teaching his soldiers like school  pupils.”  Crispin, as he became known, served on the staff of  Commander-in-Chief Lord Louis Mountbatten and appears in a well-published  iconic photograph of a front-line briefing, Crispin relaxing and smoking his pipe contentedly. Stuart Adams (46-50) also asks about Crispin  “…for whom I had great respect, as I did for another master, Carrick Smith, both excellent school masters and unforgettable. I speak now as Governor of our local Secondary School which has 1500 pupils and 170 staff, of whom half are teaching. None could approach the teachers we had.”

The Editor of this column wouldn’t rate very highly either with Stuart. We did get some dates wrong last time. Apologies. School years of Stuart’s brother John were 48-52 and brother Richard 52-57. Stuart is in touch with Frank Griffiths (41-53) and his wife Sheila and exchanges e-mails with John Hughes (40-46) who was in sparkling form at the recent OR Dinner. Stuart had been the fag for John Hughes in 1946, we hear. Hope he kept his locker tidy. Do readers have news of any contemporaries? John Wood (41-52) House Captain of St. Andrew’s who came from Iffley, Oxford?  Peter Stock (46-50) of Oxford House and Lamorna Cove, Cornwall? Paul Clark (46-50) of Cambridge House and from Exeter?

Dr. Chris Meigh-Andrews writes from East London on behalf of his mother Margaret Bean (35-43), later Mrs Andrews, now living in Essex. She is keen to trace school friend Betty Warner (35-44). Betty was one of four in the Warner family all at the school together. We have recently heard from Phil, the son of Michael Warner (38-48) that  brother Tony (36-49) is living in France, and senior brother John (35-45) died some 20 years ago.  Betty herself, now Mrs Gibson, was recently widowed and lives in Rye.

Joan Butler (33-39) joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) during WW2, later being discharged for ill health and dying in October 1946. We’ve had some enquiries and any reader who knew Joan  or more about her … do please contact the website or Keith Angel who covers the pre-60 leavers. (Contact details following)

After 18 months in New Zealand, John Bryant Cook (48-54) writes  from Ilkeston in Derbyshire that he’ll be on his way to the OR Reunion on 19 May together with brother Graham (49-60) who, says John, deserves a sort of silver medal. That’s if  Francis MacMahon (39-52) ever gets a gold for a record 13 years spent at school, as we reported. But, hey, look above at Tony Warner (36-49). Looks like a photo-finish but we’d still like to hear from other claimants before dispensing precious metal reserves from the OR vaults.

When it comes to tracking down ‘lost’ OR’s some readers are better sleuths than Bloodhounds.  Here’s a few for the ladies. The following are married, we know, but what were their maiden (school) names, when were they born and what are their addresses?
World cruises (first class) on offer for information.
Mrs A Bellis, Mrs Ann White (school years 49-54), Mrs Diana Moule (51-55), Mrs Louise Griffin, Mrs Margaret Stevenson (49-60), Mrs S Fanthorne.

From Postling, Hythe in Kent, Harry Crispin Smith who is 94 this year recalls that he joined the staff  at School in 1936, becoming Oxford House Master and Deputy Head Master. “My memories of teaching there are very happy ones and I often look back on them with great pleasure. What a good Head Madden was!” As many OR’s know, Crispin’s wife Kit sadly died recently. They had been married happily for 66 years and Crispin has temporarily moved now from his Dorset home to be with daughters Elizabeth and Caroline.

Generations of Russellians hold a special regard and affection for Crispin and his family and many are keeping in touch with him directly. “It’s been very nice to hear, he says, from Andrew McWilliam (33-40), Lt.Col. John Farr (35-40), Tony Ford (48-58), Peter Harrison (38-49), Chris Neale (41-51) and former master Andrew Foot from time to time and several others besides.”

Andrew McWilliam (33-40) from Kirkcudbright where he lives with his wife Jean says he enjoyed going through a list of OR ‘Ancients’. (Well, that’s one way of putting it!) “One delightful deception in life is to recall faces from names and still see them as they were in their young days, untouched and untroubled by time.” he says. We wish !  His sister Jean McWilliam (36-47) , now Mrs Wathin, has moved from Harrogate with husband Godfrey to Abergavenny. “What happened to the Howell brothers?” he asks.    Who can help on that?

Welcome news from John Dutton (38-45) who left school early at age 14 together with brother Graham (40-45) because his widowed mother remarried. Thus they no longer qualified as ‘an orphan or necessitous foundationer’. After National Service in 1949 John entered Building Controls as a profession, finally retiring in 1996. Marrying in 1953 and first living on the Bournville Village Trust, he has two children, Paul and Louise. Twenty years ago he moved to Bromsgrove. John has dug up a fun but fuzzy 1938 pic of the Hope Morley House. We’ll get working digital wonders on it for another issue!  (To those in it … you all looked very sweet. Whatever happened ?)

DID YOU LEAVE SCHOOL BEFORE 1960 ?  SEND US YOUR NEWS ... OR DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO …?  OR WHERE THEY ARE  ?

TAKE THE EASY STEP.   SIMPLY CONTACT KEITH ANGEL
kandrangel@talktalk.net  Mail : 63 McWilliam Road, Brighton BN2 6BE
Telephone : 01273 695 596