The Hemel Hempstead School during WWII
War had a major impact on schools throughout the country. Teachers joined up to fight, evacuees arrived in many places, and schools took part in military training. The reminiscences of people who were pupils at what was then called Hemel Hempstead Grammar School can be found here.
Some parts of these stories are detailed on this page, and longer summaries of each page are available here. Highlights include fund-raising for a mine sweeper here, memories of refugee children here and here, and how petrol shortages affected the journey to school here. Read of how children sheltered from a German aeroplane here.
John Stanbridge's story
(Interviewed by Lynda Abbott and Fay Breed in December 2011)
John Stanbridge, who was part of the school's second intake in 1932 remembers school staff who served in the war:
The younger members of the male staff were called to colours: Mr Doggett (Geography) served in the army in Yugoslavia. Mr Boucher (woodwork and PE) in the RAF. Mr Prior (French) in a French medical unit. I believe that he was a Quaker and Conscientious Objector, unwilling to fight; but he acted so bravely that the French Government awarded him the Croix du Guerre. He was a lovely gentleman.
Read more from John Stanbridge about school life here and here.
David Stevens' story
(interviewed by Polly Taylor and Harriet Bullock)
David Stevens started at Hemel Hempstead Grammar School in September 1940. He told us how pupils did their best to support the war effort:
The school adopted a mine sweeper called the Lord Keith and there was a model of the ship in a glass case at the back of the assembly hall (now PA1). A “farthing fund” was set up to buy comforts for the crew and there was competition between the forms as to how much was contributed.
More memories from David Stevens are here and here.
Jean Stevens' story
(interviewed by Polly Taylor and Harriet Bullock)
Jean Stevens was Jean Baxter when she started at Hemel School in September 1939. She remembers the war bringing new pupils from across Europe:
There were many refugees from Austria, Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia in the school. One girl had long hair, despite the school rule that hair should not touch the collar of your blouse. She was gently asked to wear it shorter but she said that her father, who had been left behind in Germany wanted her to have long hair. She was allowed to keep it long but wear it tied back in a bow. The staff were very understanding and sympathetic.
More memories from Jean Stevens are here and here.
Jill McLeod's story
(interview by Lucy Hughes and Samantha Rees)
As Jill Gledhow, Jill McLeod came to Hemel School in 1941, while living in Kings Langley. The war had an effect on her journey to school: "I had to travel by bus and as petrol was in short supply it was powered by a contraption on the back."
More memories from Jill McLeod are here and here.
Mary Horton's story
(interview by Lucy Hughes and Samantha Rees)
Marry Letto (as Mary Horton then was) had already been at Hemel School for a year when the war began. Like Jean Stevens, she remembers refugee children attending the school:
These European children were mostly Jewish. One or two came with their parents but some came by themselves. Their parents went to great lengths to help them escape. They didn’t want to talk about their experiences at first but opened up later and had earth shattering stories to tell. They were wonderful students. They began the school year not speaking English but learned very rapidly. It was a lesson to the English pupils.
On one occasion, the pupils were in real danger:
I remember one bright, blue February day we were playing house matches when two masters rushed out to warn us. A German plane was emptying its guns along the Boxmoor Valley and the children had to get to the shelter. The warning siren went quickly followed by the all clear. It was an incident I remember well.
Read more from Mary Horton here and here.
(interview by Sarah Kay and Amelia Wright)
After being evacuated from Hemel to Wales at the beginning of the war, Hazel Wilkinson attended a grammar school in Wales before she returned to Hemel where she enrolled at Hemel Hempstead Grammar School. One of her strongest memories is of going down to the air raid shelter: “The shelter felt like a deep dark place. The air raids often seemed to happen at lunch time and we carried our dinner down the stairs. We often had dried peas and I remember that they would drop off the plate and bounce on the stairs as we were walking down.”
Read more about Hazel Wilkinson here and here.
