Wartime Memories of Stowe
2 April 2020
We returned to school on 6 May 1945 for the summer term. Most of us came by train – petrol was rationed. We arrived at Bletchley or perhaps Verney junction. The trains were overcrowded with standing room only and all the corridors were packed. The War ended on 8 May – VE Day. We took all the blackout screens out of the houses and burnt them on the South Front. Incidentally, the lower part was occupied by boys’ allotments. On the East side stood a huge cedar – and still does. This was climbed by the adventurous who could be rewarded by a safe, relaxing smoke at the top. The lower branches have now been removed, no doubt due to Health and Safety, so the tree cannot be climbed.
Spring term 1947 was most memorable. It snowed and froze all term and there were no games except fives and squash and runs.
The lakes froze and the 11acre became an ice rink. Every afternoon those who had skates went to play ice hockey or simply skate, including JF. The cross country was held at the end of term and I was 51 out of 55. I well remember how one was tired as one came on to the North Front, but seeing the finishing line one had a sudden surge of energy from somewhere and finished with a sprint.
The swimming pool was an enclosure in the 11acre. The tennis courts were by the Temple of Friendship. There was a rifle range below the Gothic Temple which housed the armoury of .303 rifles of the CCF. One memorable evening was the recruits race organised by Freddie Archer. This started by swimming a length of the pool, climbing a wall, scrambling up a quarry behind the Worthies, and finally through a swamp above the Palladian bridge. In our final year in the corps Oxford University brought 25pdr guns out for us to use. This is why I joined the Gunners in my National Service. This was a useful period. I served for two years and was posted to Oswestry, Germany, Aldershot twice, Egypt, and Cyprus. I drove a Morris minor home across Jordan, Syria, Turkey and Europe.
We were engaged in the war and its consequences. Boys arrived who had been evacuated to the US and one who had been a Jap prisoner in Shanghai. We had an exchange boy from the US called Powers, he could throw a rugger ball like a torpedo and had a liaison with one of the secretaries. There were stores of ammunition along the small roads before D-Day. The First World War was remembered by lower passage by Egypt which was called Plug Street thought to derive from Ploegstreet in the Ypres Salient where Major Haworth, Housemaster of Temple, had fought. Field Marshall Montgomery visited the School and we had an extra holiday. Frank Ruhemann, a contemporary of mine in the Forty was killed in Korea.
There were many good teachers who came to fill gaps left by those in the forces. There two German refugees, Herr Wiener and Dr Zettl. Aldrdge Blake who taught biology, Hart Dyke, Playford Housemaster of Bruce who hung an oar in his study. Daddy Dewing, who taught physics and had no sense of humour. He was the dupe of David Niven’s ruse. Physics was taught in a tiered lecture room with a cupboard below the seats. After a class had started Niven burst out of the cupboard and breathlessly said "Sir, JF wants you immediately and you can go to his study by the secret passage I have just come through. Dewing went in the door which Niven promptly shut. Among my contemporaries were two brilliant pianists Harding and Birkett. The latter’s father was a judge at the Nuremberg trials. Others were Chorley who was a redoubtable climber and Chair of the National Trust: Tommy Sopwith who had a brand new MG delivered to the North Front on his 16th birthday. Unfortunately, he and Butlin did not distinguish themselves by going to Silverstone and driving to the destruction of new cars stored there; David Cobham who bowled for Yorkshire, Rooke who was top of the Forty became a judge; Freeman a top and innovative surgeon; Colin Anson and Brian Brindley were good historians who spent a lot of time at Patience McAlwee’s house in Dadford.
Godfrey Huggins was Director of Music. He used to take us to Oxford to concerts. I remember one in the Sheldonian with Thomas Beech am with Betty Beecham as soloist. He also paid for first class soloists and orchestras to come. He was Master of the Grafton Hunt. He is buried in Stowe churchyard. There was an excellent production of The Marriage of Figaro with all the parts played by boys. This was in the gym which was where the swimming pool is now. Every Saturday evening, we had films there. A less elevated daily entertainment was the detective "Dick Barton, Special Agent" on radio.
Mr Capel Cure was very interested in trees of which there were a great variety. There was a plantation of cricket bat willows below the Rotunda. Where the National Trust reception is now was a decrepit farm called the Nivelry where one could get a meal of ham and eggs. Meals were also available at the School Shop, run by Moss. Here we also spent our meagre sweet ration.
The Matron of Temple was a well endowed lady who kept a nice car near the Grecian valley. Some kind boys volunteered to bring the car for her. Enroute they created a skid pan of mud which the boys enjoyed if the car did not.
I seem to remember that there was a roll call termed a "stance". There was Assembly once a week when one was called out in ones place in ones form. John Marsden and I were 18th and 19th in the Forty every week except one when JF said "Marsden and Turner you can do better", the next week we were 8th and 9th. Unfortunately, the following week we reverted to our normal places where we stayed.
A very large man called Brown was Housemaster of Cobham and Head of rugger. He delighted in telling the story of when he was playing full back for Scotland he averted defeat by tackling a famous opponent who was about to score and incidentally breaking his arm. He concluded, "and he never played rugger again ha! ha!".
When JF retired in 1949 the Old Stoics gave him an Austin Healey coupe with the number JF1, personal number plates being a novelty. Several years later I was driving back to school when I found myself behind JF. I overtook him and he stopped. I was able to introduce him to my wife. He was delighted.
John Turner (Grenville 49)
Please send your memories of Stowe to oldstoic@stowe.co.uk in time for Stowe's Centenary in 2023.