by Brian Gumm (1940-45)
Brian Gumm (1940-45) writes:
Looking back over some sixty years or more, my recollection of the COHS in war time was surprise that the process of education proceeded in a more or less orderly fashion with few interruptions due to the war raging across Europe. This I am sure was not the case, but through the eyes of a schoolboy it was the usual round of lessons, homework etc relieved by some of the exciting things going on around us.
The City of Oxford was very lucky to escape the heavy bombing much of the country was subjected to early in the war. However, night after night we heard the German planes droning overhead on their way to the Midlands and our sleep was interrupted for some nights until we decided that perhaps Oxford had a charmed life and the bed presented a greater attraction than sheltering under the stairs.
On the way to and from school we often saw the success of the war in the air with wreckage of German Dorniers and Heinkels on the RAF forty foot trailers being towed through St Giles. Like most of my friends, we all built up a collection of memorabilia of pieces of planes, bullets and I even managed to acquire the end of an incendiary bomb which remained with me for many years.
I do not recall many times when the school had to retire to the brick surface air raid shelter in the playground so we must have had very few air raid warnings during the day.
This was just after Dunkirk and sure enough, the COHS stretcher bearers were thrown into action at Oxford station to carry the wounded from the trains to the ambulances. My starry eyed idea of helping our gallant troops was dealt a severe blow when one soldier I was helping to carry gave me the full benefit of his extensive vocabulary of words that up to that point I had never come across. I think that I must have lead a very sheltered life and that the language of the boys of COHS was also exemplary! I do hope he survived.
Another of our extra curricula activities came when the invasion of Europe was imminent and we were enrolled into packing tools for the army. We were conveyed to our destination (Didcot?) in a single decker bus which gave some of more destructive elements in our midst scope for seeing what they could dismantle! As far as I remember, the driver took offence at the removal of part of the floor and stopped the bus to give us a firm lecture! Presumably we must have been unsupervised by any master on this occasion!
Now for a few of the masters that I recall
“Froggy” Nelson was an unforgettable character and it says something that to this day I can still recall some of his French phrases when I take my annual holiday in France with my son and family. I think that he would have felt rewarded at that and his untimely death robbed us of a fine teacher.
Another great character was Harry Jacques who managed to drum into me a great liking and ability for chemistry. His habit of ripping his gown into pieces to clean the blackboard endeared him to all of us! The knowledge of chemistry that he instilled in us was put to good use in what must have been Britain’s forerunner to NASA in Summertown where John Dexter and I were busy constructing rockets!
My memories of Mr Soulsby who taught history and English I believe, are not so humorous. No doubt he would normally have been retired but I imagine that the lack of younger teachers made it necessary for the older ones to stay on. This may have affected his outlook as he seemed to adopt a very physical approach when imposing discipline. How many of you recall his wielding a broom handle to bring down on our heads? I certainly do as I was one of the unfortunate ones at arm’s reach and suffered concussion as a result! (Please note Steve Cartwright re European Court of Human Rights!)
In music, Mr Palmer did an excellent job in what is not an easy subject to teach. He introduced Mozart to us and a love of his music has remained with me to the present day. His recital on one of the church organs was an event that has remained fresh in my memory.
Also while on art topics I must mention Mr Field whose interest and encouragement was greatly appreciated. I was moderately good at Art and I battled it out with the Smith twins and another whose name, I think was Hussey, for the top form place. It was interesting to read that the twins had gone on to do such good things in the world of architecture. I know that the Headmaster was keen to get people into the School of Architecture and did try to persuade me. However, “Pongo” Bodey and Harry Jacques had sown the seeds and I was drawn into science.
Finally I will end on an occasion that for me was absolutely unique, and that was to stand in Carfax on VE Day and hear all the bells of Oxford ringing in celebration of the victory. A “one off” experience.