March 1908 “There was a young fellow from Perth,Who was born on the day of his birth.He was married, they say,On his wife’s wedding day,And he died on his last day on earth.” Was this the original limerick on this topic?
Tag: Early Days
About Secondary Education
December 1922 – EditorialCertain people are now demanding that all children shall have a ‘secondary’ education, and this, without considering the cost or the advantage [sic] to the nation. For our part we cannot see how this is to be done, unless the whole system of elementary education is changed, and all the schools in… Continue reading About Secondary Education
The COS Old Boys’ Machine-Gun Platoon
July 1932 In the Old Boys’ section of the school magazine of July 1932 it is announced that the Old Boys have formed a Machine-Gun Platoon in conjunction with the Machine-Gun Company of the 4th Bn. Oxf. and Bucks Lt Infantry. “Recruits sign on as Territorials for four years and are required to do a… Continue reading The COS Old Boys’ Machine-Gun Platoon
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… Continue reading Experiences in France in 1916
WW1 Service
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: Royal Navy 29 Royal Marines 3 Army 491 Royal Air Force 57 Total distinctions… Continue reading WW1 Service
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”… Continue reading Sir H S Souttar (at School around 1890)
The School Roll of Service 1914-18
The transcript below is of a talk was given by Professor Adrian Gregory, the guest speaker at the COSA Annual Luncheon of 2017. It is a comprehensive review of the participation of Old Boys and Staff in the First World War. ‘Since 2014 I have been director of a research network at the university dedicated to… Continue reading The School Roll of Service 1914-18
T E Lawrence (1896-1907)
A Speech by Mr Churchill If you have not landed here from that page, you can read about the circumstances of this speech here “Mr. President: Although more than year has passed since Lawrence was taken from us, the impression of his personality remains living and vivid upon the minds of his friends, and the… Continue reading T E Lawrence (1896-1907)
A T Pollard 1881 -1898
The Unfinished School History by Geoffrey Hart Chapter 1: A Very Good Start – The Headmastership of A T Pollard The following details on the History of the School are taken from the work of Geoffrey Hart (COSA’s first Chairman) just before he died. These cover the first years of our School until Mr Cave… Continue reading A T Pollard 1881 -1898