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St Edward’s:
150 Years
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in late 1928 or early 1929, had to be increased
in response to
Warden Kendall’s expansion of the School. At the same time
ventilation was improved by making it possible for some
windows to open and a door was cut in the north-east corner
of the Chapel. More space was created by reducing the aisle
to 3’6” (106.7cm). In 1929 the Simeon Memorial Chapel was
designed by Harold Rogers (OSE) at the south-west corner of
the Chapel; it was finally completed in 1934. He created the
Memorial Chapel from the original vestry, to which he made a
slight extension eastwards, and he also designed a new vestry
on the opposite side of the Chapel, at the building’s north-west
corner. Rogers also designed the porch at this time so that
now the Chapel was entered by two doors, from the north and
south, and this allowed for extra seats in what used to be the
ante-chapel.
During World War II the Chapel bells were again silenced
after the evacuation of Dunkirk and did not ring again until
the victory at El Alamein. The evening service had to be earlier
when the days were short, as the building was not properly
blacked out. Warden Kendall followed Ferguson’s practice of
reading out the list of the fallen at Evensong, often, hardly
surprisingly, choking with emotion. On VE Day the Warden
led a service of thanksgiving in the Chapel and it was lit up at
night for the first time since the war had begun.
From 1943, discussions took place as to how to
commemorate the fallen – whether to add to the Great War
Memorial or to build something new. In 1945 Harold Rogers
added the black screen with three arched openings, donated
anonymously by Revd Arthur Macnamara in memory of John
Simmonds (OSE) killed in action in Tunisia in 1943, to the
Memorial Chapel. It is in dark oak with each opening headed by
figures, carved by Harold Youngman, of Saints George, Martin,
Francis and Aldhelm, with the arms of St Edward, St George
and St Martin on the panels in between. On the west wall of
the Memorial Chapel is a tablet with the names of those who
Left: Chapel tower
repairs in 1946.
Below left: The
Chapel in 1954.
Opposite: Clockwise from top left: St Edward the
Martyr on the south side of the Chapel tower;
Entrance to the Chapel from the south decorated for a
wedding;KennethGrahamewindow,MemorialChapel;
hand of sculptor Nick Mynheer’s angel in the Chapel
porch; Jazz Holy Communion conducted by Revd Kerr
in the NorthWall; Revd Shaw preaching‘in the round’.
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Chapter 4 / The Chapel