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St Edward’s:
150 Years
Chapter 6 / St Edward’s and the Wars
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127
The School’s contribution to World War II numbered just
under 1,550 in the Services, of whom 150 gave their lives. The
eventual ‘Roll of Honour’ is 40 more than in the Great War. One
master, T.C. Hankey, had also been killed in action. Ninety-
seven were known Prisoners of War and 13 were reported in
the
Chronicle
of July 1945 as ‘Missing’, though one of these,
Noel Bendor Robins (E, 1928–31), in fact
survived the war. There
were in excess of 40 OSE who had fought in both World Wars
and one who had fought in the Boer War as well.
The final tally of decorations and honours is more than
impressive: one VC, nine DSOs, four Bars to DSOs, 20 DFCs,
eights Bars to DFCs, 28 MCs, one Bar to MC, two MMs, eight
OBEs, six MBEs, six DSCs, one Bar to DSC, one KLB, one
KBE, one CGM, one GM, two BEMs, one American Legion
of Honour, one Norwegian War Medal, one American AFC,
one Croix de Guerre and 31 mentioned in despatches – these
decorations were shared across all the main services. R.D.
Hill, in his ‘Roll of Honour’, singles out five individuals among
LIEUTENANT CHARLES EDMUND HUGH JEFFERSON RNVR (A, 1935–40)
A story of WorldWar II new to the archives is that of Ted
Jefferson. Material about him has been provided by his sister
Hilde Browning via his niece, Julia.
Charles Jeffersonwas born in Lincoln on 1October 1921, was
a pupil at St Edward’s from 1935 to 1940 and joined the RNVR
Fleet Air Arm directly after leaving School. As a Seafire pilot Lt
Jefferson saw extensive action both in North Africa and in the
Mediterranean, including action over the landings at Salerno.
His final mission was in the South of France with combined
American,BritishandFrenchforces:OperationDragoon,inAugust
1944. 809 Naval Air Squadron was in action up the Rhone
valley and after ten days Ted’s Seafire was hit by anti-aircraft
fire near Montelimar. He crashed just north of Saint-Rémy-de-
Provence on 26 August 1944.
He is buried in the municipal cemetery in Saint-Rémy-de-
Provence, in the tomb of the Leger family, whose son also had
been an aviator and crashed in 1925. Mme Leger decreed that
the two young men should be laid side by side. Every year, at
first on 11 November and more recently on 8 May (VE Day), the
townspeoplehonourTedalongsidetheirownmenwhofellinbattle
and in the Resistance. They process with flags, speeches, singing
LaMarseillaise and our National Anthemto the Leger tomb.When
possible someone from the family attends that ceremony.
In 2010 a new road in the town was named Rue du
Lieutenant Jefferson.
Above:TedJefferson(second
from left).
Below: The sign for Rue du
LieutenantJeffersoninSaint-
Rémy-de-Provence, France.
Bottom: Ted’s medals.
Above: Ted Jefferson’s aircraft carrier, HMS
Stalker
.
Below: Ted’s coffin.
Left: The
wing of Ted’s
Seafire plane.
Right: Saint-
Rémy-de-Provence
town medal.
Left: T.C. Hankey,
c.
1937, the only member of the
Common Room to die in WorldWar II.
Below: US troops playing baseball on School Fields
in 1944 prior to D-Day – in return for petrol for the
School mowers!