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St Edward’s:
150 Years
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Chapter 6 / St Edward’s and the Wars
(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.
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).
Left: George Howard Bickley
(A, 1906–11).
Above: Charles Sherriff Ranson
(C, 1909–15).
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.
Above: George Maurice Gerald
Gillett (A, 1894–1901).
Right: Oswald Charles Blencowe
(E, 1902–8).
Geoffrey de Havilland (E, 1898–9).
Louis Arbon Strange (E, 1905–7).
Letter to former Warden Sing from E.C.R. Hudson, another son of former Warden Hudson.