Battersea | old-azurians

The Evacuation of Battersea Grammar School to WHSB 1939

Few Old Boys now remain who remember the episode in the life of WHSB when Battersea Grammar School was evacuated to Worthing at the start of WW2 and shared our school premises. Reproduced below are two pieces that appeared in the 1949 issue of The Azurian that commemorated the first 25 years in the life of WHSB. In the first piece one of the evacuees shares his memories of coming to Worthing, and in the second piece the Headmaster of Battersea Grammar School at the time expresses his gratitude for the friendly welcome given to him, his staff, and his boys by WHSB; in particular he pays tribute to Mr. Rolfe Martin and his wife for the role they played in making the whole complex business run smoothly.

By D. ]. LEWIS, of U.VI.Sc.

THE SOLE SURVIVOR

It is difficult to remember very clearly the upheaval caused in my early school life by the sudden change from a London schoolboy to a Sussex scholar. The plans for the evacuation of Battersea Grammar School were kept secret until the last minute, and in order to avoid the worry of this uncertainty my parents packed me off to Worthing for an unexpected holiday with relatives. “Good,“ I thought, “ this is where I escape from school for a while”, though at the same time feeling rather sorry for my friends at Battersea Grammar School who were being whisked off to an unknown destination. You can imagine my feelings when on walking through Broadwater a few days later I came face to face with hordes of my striped-blazer-clad friends. Instead of my following the School at leisure it had followed me!

However, the School had taken on a quite different aspect. Some days we attended classes, and some days we did not, and in ﬁne weather we went for long walks over the Downs - a great excitement to a London schoolboy more used to dodging the trains and walking over Tooting Common. We also had allotments on a stony stretch of land behind the Downlands Hotel in which we dug with great fury hoping to ﬁnd that elusive Victory.

Now, on looking back, I realise what a triumph of organisation was achieved by Mr. Martin. After nine months it seemed as if Battersea Grammar School had always been part of Worthing High School for Boys, so imagine my feelings when the powers that be decided once more to uproot us and pack us off to another unknown destination. This time I travelled with my school companions and arrived in Hertfordshire where I stayed for about three months before my parents decided to take a house in Worthing for the duration. So once again I found myself back at Worthing, this time to become a permanent member of the High School.

Now, although London born and bred, I can sing with great gusto, but with little accuracy—— Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Vikings, a son of Sussex me ’.

Mr. H. RUSSELL ELLIS. B.Sc., Headmaster of Battersea Grammar School. 1918-45, writes to us of the period September, 1939 to June 1940, when his School shared our buildings.

As this year is the Silver Jubilee anniversary of the opening of Worthing High School for Boys, a ﬁtting opportunity presents itself to put on record one of the most unusual episodes in its highly successful career and for the Headmaster of Battersea Grammar School (now retired) to express sincere thanks and appreciation for the great and kindly welcome we received from everyone connected with Worthing High School during the ﬁrst year of the war, when we were fortunate in being the guests of the School.

The school premises during this period gave accommodation to nearly 1,000 scholars and about 60 masters, both Schools shared and shared alike and so friendly were the relations between the two staffs and scholars that the two Schools seemed to function as one and both managed almost complete time-tables. We were fortunate in finding, on our arrival, your really great Headmaster, the late Mr. R. G. Martin, who had brought the work and reputation of the School to a high level. The good fellowship which he established between the two Schools is in itself a tribute to his greatness and those of us who shared his hospitality will always possess happy memories of our ﬁrst year of exile. Mr. Martin was a tireless organiser and during the early days of the war would frequently work through the night to cope with the heavy task occasioned by the influx of strangers. When the evacuation scheme came into being Mr. Martin anticipated the arrival of a secondary school in Worthing and carefully prepared billets for all, but unfortunately we learnt of this too late and, in consequence, encountered considerable difficulties in housing some 560 boys in various parts of the town. Mrs. Martin extended a most cordial welcome to Mrs. Ellis, who cherishes many happy memories of her stay in Worthing.

Mrs. Martin, by her excellent catering, helped to make billeting easier and foster parents were in many cases freed from providing midday meals. We remember the many cricket matches which took place between the First Xl’s; in every case the home side proved victorious, thanks largely to the wiles of a slow bowler who showed great skill and promise. The collapse of France brought our happy association to an abrupt end and Battersea Grammar School was sent on its travels again, this time to Hertford, where we remained until the termination of the war.

We left with the greatest regret, but shall never forget our experiences at Worthing High School, which we wish every success under our friend, Mr. J. T. Turner, its new Headmaster.