A note by Tony Phelps:
The Lawrence Brothers’ Memorial Fund financed the establishment at Jesus College Oxford of a Scholarship or Exhibition, which was first competed for in 1939. It was created in memory of three of the Lawrence brothers. Namely:
Lawrence: leading aircraftman
In the Oxford Mail of 22 Dec 1977, this critique was published by Keith Robertson of the book “Solitary in the Ranks” Lawrence as airman and private soldier”, by H Montgomery Hyde and published by Constable.
“Lawrence may have sought solitude when he refused offers of high office and instead listed in the ranks as an airman.
Lawrence of Arabia as Ross
In April 1962 “Ross: a dramatic portrait” by Terence Rattigan was performed at the New Theatre in Oxford. The lead role of Ross (Lawrence of Arabia) was played by Michael Bryant. In the programme there were some biographical notes on T E Lawrence:
Continue reading “Lawrence of Arabia as Ross”How Lawrence joined the RAF
On August 30, 1922, Lawrence of Arabia arrived at the RAF recruiting office in 4 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London to enlist as John Hume Ross. This newspaper report by W E Johns of Biggles fame (1922) appeared in September 1959 (Johns was 66 at the time and died in 1968). Unfortunately it has not been possible to identify the paper in which it appeared.
“If – as it would seem – the enlistment of T E Lawrence into the RAF is to be made an incident of major historical importance, it is time the truth was told.
Experiences in France in 1916
by ADC (Passed by Censor)
This is a personal indulgence by Mike Chew who read the article – of which this passage is just the beginning – in the Oxford High School Magazine of December 1916. He left it to others to react in their own way.
September 27th 1916
“I had the greatest day of my life the day before yesterday when we went over the top.
Continue reading “Experiences in France in 1916”WW1 Service Distinctions
The numbers of Old Boys serving in the 1st World War – or the Great War as it was known then – was 580. In a school with a nominal intake of 120 pupils per annum that is a huge percentage:
Continue reading “WW1 Service Distinctions”Sir H S Souttar (at School around 1890)
Sir Henry Sessions Souttar (1875 -1964) was an eminent surgeon. One of his books, “A Surgeon in Belgium”, dealt with his experiences in the First World War. It was first published in 1915 by Edward Arnold and is still available in a recent reprint (ISBN: 1428054154). Souttar became famous for his “Hole in the Heart” surgery, and later became President of The British Medical Association.
On the Barts & London Hospital website it is written:
“Sir Henry Souttar was another of The London’s most brilliant surgeons. He was the first surgeon in the world to open a chamber of the heart to stretch the organ’s mitral valve, which later became a basis for modern heart surgery. Sir Souttar also met Madame Marie Curie in Paris to discuss the use of radium, and then persuaded the Medical Research Council to give The London the first precious gram of radium which he used to treat breast cancer.”
COSA Reunion
Old Boys visiting the School some time in the 2000s
Robin Kemp (1933-39/40)
Tony Jones writes:
“Robin played for the Old Oxford Citizens R.F.C. for several years. He served in the Fleet Air Arm as a pilot and did his training at Culham Air Field.
He owned a small plane and was flying until recently.
He was in business as a Surveyor and Valuer.”
Michael Phelps (1941-48)
Michael played scrum-half for the First XV in 1945, 1946 and in 1947