‘Paulatim Ergo Certe (It is an unhurried pace that guarantees success)
to Victory Home and Peace’
On The Latymerians who served in the Second World War of 1939-1945 and survived. 2
Introduction When the memorial booklet on those Latymerians who fell in the First World War was completed in 2014, it was realised that the School Magazine of the time contained much more information on service in the war than just the obituaries of the Fallen. It was suggested that a parallel document to the memorial might be compiled from the very extensive War Reports sent in by alumni serving on the Western Front and elsewhere. That proved too great a task but a parallel document to the stories of the Fallen was produced by collating the war poems composed by students of the time for inclusion in the magazine. This collection of poems was published as a document of Remembrance in 2018 and given the title ‘Pro Patria Ergo Certe’, ‘For Country therefore for Certain ’ a play on the former School motto and implying the patriotic assurance of the 1914-18 period. When it seemed good to follow the First World War Memorial Project with a companion on the Fallen Latymerians of the Second World War, it was thought appropriate to seek a parallel for the war poetry collection too. This booklet is the result of that search. Again its title plays on the old motto, this time, though, using it in full. Paulatim Ergo Certe seems a rather good precis of the war of 193945 in its length, difficulty, challenge and of course, cost in lives ended or damaged. In a war containing Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain and the Blitz, as well as D-Day and the long drawn out liberation of North Africa, Europe and the Far East, no victory came quickly or with guaranteed certainty. Latymerians, both those who gave their lives and those who survived, played their part in that eventual victory and it is surely good to recall those that came home alongside those who sadly did not. A request came to me while I was still working as the Latymer Archivist from a team, led by Dr Barry Blades, which had produced a book on ‘The Public Schools in the First World War’ for information which they could include in their own parallel publication on the Second World War. This required me to review all the wartime editions of ‘The Latymerian’ so that I could collate and send on information about alumni in uniform, their numbers, ranks, units, when and where they served and what medals or decorations they won. It is from the ‘Spreadsheet’ produced for this that the data come which appear in this new document. There are over 900 entries on the Spreadsheet, far too many to be included easily here, but the complete Spreadsheet is in the School Archive and may be consulted by contacting the current Hon. Archivist, Polly Foley. It is certainly worth studying. It seemed a very sound idea indeed that these data should form the basis of the ‘parallel document to the Memorial to the Fallen of World War 2, by remembering the service of those who survived, who came home, who did perhaps ‘Meet Again.’ What appears here is just a selection, effectively a selection of a selection, as not every Latymerian in uniform necessarily submitted information on his service back to the School, and I have selected out of what they selected, what I thought might be of interest to readers now. For the nearest possible approach to the complete picture it is necessary to consult the Spreadsheet, or indeed the original copies of ‘The Latymerian’ in the School Archive.
2
Latymerians serving in the various theatres of war, or their proud families on their behalf, will have submitted, albeit often briefly, news of their enlistment, training, promotion and service. For an appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of the ‘News of Old Boys Serving in the Forces‘ articles in the ‘Latymerian’ as historical sources, do please read the introduction to the Memorial Project Booklet. As with those who were lost, those Latymerians who survived served in virtually every theatre of war, in every engagement in Europe, in North Africa, in the Far East, and at sea in the Battle of the Atlantic and in the Arctic Convoys Some went across what was then the Empire to train in Canada, India, Rhodesia and South Africa, and some trained and served in the United States. The largest number served with the Royal Air Force or the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. The Army comes a little behind in numbers, with the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines and the Merchant Navy having noticeably fewer but of course no less active and gallant men from Latymer in their ranks. Within the R.A.F, Latymerians served across the range of Commands: Bomber, Fighter, Coastal and Transport, the Meteorological Service, the Royal Air Force Ground Defence Section and there was one man at least in the Balloon Section. In the Army, there were Alumni in the nominally locally recruited Regiments such as the Middlesex and London Welsh, London Scottish, London Irish and Princess Louise’s Regiment, but there was in all a wide range of units containing Latymerians including the Duke of York’s Regiment, The Durham Regiment, the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and several others. Alumni served in the Royal Corps of Signals, in the Royal Armoured and Tank Corps, in the Royal Engineers, the Royal Artillery and Honourable Artillery Companies and the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. There were Latymerians in the Royal Army Medical Corps (and the R.A.F. Medical Service too), the Dental and Veterinary Services, the Royal Army Chaplains Department, the Royal Army Pay Corps, the Salvage Regiment, the Army Forward Broadcasting Unit, in training and in the N.A.A.F.I. Alumni played a particular role in Intelligence work, as is noted more fully below. They could be found also in the Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Naval Yacht Patrol. One is recorded as serving with the United States Marines and amongst Civilians there were Latymerians in the Air Raid Precautions Service and the Home Guard and at least two served in the collieries, perhaps as ‘Bevin Boys’. Within the armed forces a very significant number of Latymerians were serving as NonCommissioned Officers or ‘Other Ranks’. A good number, however, did have commissions and notices of promotions are common in the various wartime editions of ‘The Latymerian’, particularly in the R.A.F. The highest ranks which appear to have been reached were Captain in the Merchant Navy, Sub Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, (perhaps the relatively small number of Latymerians at sea did not provide a large enough ‘pool’ for a larger number of promotions), in the R.A.F. Squadron Leader (of which there are several) and in the Army there was one Brigadier- General, S.C.P. Drury, and there were also several Captains and Majors and a Lieutenant Colonel. There is assuredly much scope for further research on the wartime service of former Latymer students, and indeed Staff. Three later Masters who were Old Boys are listed here, Tom Stewart M.C., George Terry and Walter Grauberg, and it is thought that as many as 13 of the then Masters, including the affectionately-remembered Wilfred Sharp and George Offiler, served actively. Others who joined the Staff later, such as Laurie Elliott the Head of 2
Geography, also had distinguished military records, in his case as a Bomber Navigator in the R.A.F. The author is therefore extending a very warm invitation indeed to any readers who are interested, to take this task on, and continue the tribute to the fine qualities of all members of the Latymer community who played their wartime part; a tribute which the author very much hopes that this booklet constitutes, and it is of course fully dedicated to them in respect and thankfulness, with any errors or admissions being entirely the author’s responsibility. M.J.Smith Former Hon. Archivist. Summer 2020.
The cover picture is an image from a collection of postcards of the School published in the 1930’s and showing the rifle range alongside the long corridor on the Weltje Road side. This is where those who served in the war may well have had their first weapons training while at school.
2
Latymerians in the Intelligence Service.
The Latymerian who might perhaps be judged to have contributed most to his country’s eventual success in the Second World War received almost no mention or written appreciation at all in the wartime annals of his old school, though that was for a sound reason, and it is worthwhile to correct this somewhat here.
Captain Raymond ‘Jerry’ Roberts M.B.E. is mentioned only once, in the Spring 1945 edition of ‘The Latymerian’, simply as serving as a Captain in the Intelligence Corps. But he was a member, in the end the last surviving member, of the elite four man team working at Bletchley Park which deciphered the ‘Tunny’ code, the system of high level communications encryption used by Hitler, Mussolini and their high-command officers in Berlin and Rome to communicate with their highest- ranking commanders in the field. This code breaking was an aspect of the war effort which remained hidden and secret for many years after 1945. The work of deciphering the Tunny Code was only released from security classification in 2002, some time after the declassification of the work on the now more widely known ‘Enigma’ code Raymond (but almost always known as ‘Jerry’) Roberts was born in Wembley in 1920. His father was a pharmacist, and his mother was an organist at the local Chapel. Raymond
2
Roberts came to Latymer in 1931 and he excelled at school, going on to study French and German at University College London in 1939. His tutor there was Professor Leonard Willoughby, who had worked in cipher breaking in the First World War. In 1941 he recommended Roberts to Colonel John Tillman, who recruited him to the Government Code and Cypher School. This led to his appointment to ‘The Testery’, an exclusive four-man team set up in October 1941. The other members were Major Ralph Tester (who gave the team its name), Captain Peter Ericsson and Major Denis Oswald, all four of them fluent in German. They first broke a cipher system used by the German Military Police and then in 1942 they were tasked with breaking ‘Tunny’. The German High Command believed Tunny to be impossible to break, as its ‘Lorenz’ coding machines used twelve encryption wheels, four times as many as those on the ‘Enigma’ machines. But when German signallers accidentally sent the same message twice without altering the settings of the machine, the Bletchley Park staff were able to ‘backengineer’ the process and construct the machines which had produced the message, in what was later called ‘an incredible feat of dedication’. Captain Roberts himself later said that the intelligence obtained by this was ‘gold dust’, for it led to detailed Allied knowledge and understanding of enemy plans at crucial moments in the war, such as the major German offensive known as ‘Operation Citadel’ the Battle of Kursk in 1943, which was the largest tank battle in history, and during the preparations for D-Day. It is thought that about nine-tenths of the top-level German communications sent by Tunny were intercepted and broken and their contents used in developing the Allies’ strategy and tactics. Captain Roberts himself later said that he took great delight in reading messages sent to Hitler before the Fuehrer himself got them. When the war ended, Captain Roberts spent two years working with the War Crimes Investigation Unit and then began a long and successful further career in market research. After the declassification of the code-breaking work, he led the effort to remember and honour those who had brought it about and worked so tirelessly on it, such as Alan Turing, Bill Tutte and Tommy Flowers, and he wrote two books about his time at Bletchley Park. In 2013 he was awarded the M.B.E. for his wartime services and an image of the presenting of of the honour to him by the Queen featured on one of a set of stamps. He said of that that it was ‘extraordinary to be on the same stamp as Her Majesty. Not many people have that privilege.’ He died in 2014 and the School contributed much of the performance of the music at his funeral. But Captain Roberts was not the only Old Latymerian who served in the Intelligence Services during the war. J E Killick was recorded as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal West Kent Regiment early in the war. The Autumn 1943 ‘Latymerian’ has him as a Captain in the Suffolk Regiment, who had returned from West Africa and was then attached to the Intelligence Corps, although, with a slightly different account, the Autumn 1944 edition records him as a Captain in the Parachute Regiment, having transferred to the Parachutists after 13 months in W. Africa in the Intelligence Corps. He appears also below among those who were Prisoners of War. After the war he joined the Foreign Office and rose to be British ambassador to the U.S.S.R. during the height of the Cold War, when the Foreign Secretary was also a Latymerian, Peter Walker, and the two Alumni together attended vital meetings with the Soviet leaders. He was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George. 2
A.G. Bates was mentioned in the July 1942 Latymerian as a Lance Corporal on the Intelligence Staff at General Headquarters, and in Autumn 1943 we read that he was serving in the Photographic Intelligence Unit of the Royal Army Service Corps. G.B.F. Cook served as a Wireless Operator in the Royal Corps of Signals and the Autumn 1943 Latymerian has him in the Intelligence Corps serving overseas. In the Autumn 1944 edition he is listed as a Corporal in that Corps. E.H.D. Jones appears in the Summer 1943 magazine as serving in the Intelligence Corps, and G.V.C. Pinnock in the Summer 1944 edition as a Private in the Intelligence Corps. Mr Pinnock served at Bletchley Park. In the Summer 1944 magazine we read that K.J. Whitbread, serving in the Intelligence Section, was learning Japanese in anticipation of service in Far East and in the Autumn 1944 edition he is listed as a Sergeant in the R.A.F. serving first in India then in Burma. Finally, the Spring 1945 magazine records that he was attached to S.E.A.A.F. in Rangoon. Flight Officer R. W. Murray was, according to the Autumn 1944 publication, lecturing at the Middle East Code and Cipher School In the same edition of the Latymerian comes the news that Colonel V.E.S. Bailey of the Intelligence Corps had been awarded an O.B.E. He was Chief Censor to the Allied Forces in N Africa and the citation for the award reads, 'This Officer has proved himself invaluable in establishing effective censorship in the N African theatre. One of the first to land in Africa he quickly put into execution and directed all censorship functions. His superior judgement, ability and diligence have been an inspiration to all his staff, which includes several hundred British and American censors.' In the Spring edition of 1945 E.L. Mattock receives honourable mention as a Sergeant in the Intelligence Corps and K.J. Uffen of the Intelligence Corps is noted as training for a commission and taking a course in Russian at London University. In one of the post war editions of the Latymerian, that of Autumn 1947, the career of J.C. Hooton is outlined. He had joined the Palestine Police in 1933 and had been commissioned in 1935. Posted to the Gold Coast as Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1939, he was seconded to the Army in the following year and had now been demobilised with the rank of Lt-Col from General Staff (Intelligence) and intending now to read for the Bar, he had applied for admission to Gray's Inn. Finally, one Latymerian’s connection with intelligence work went on long after the war. H.J.C. Dryden, who was noted in Summer 1943 as serving as a Major in the Intelligence Corps attached to G.H.Q. and at that time serving in the Middle East had recently been awarded the M.B.E. After the war he achieved high ranking in G.C.H.Q. He was head of the Operations Division.
2
Prisoners of War. A number of the Alumni who lost their lives during the war did so while being held prisoner, but there were others who were captured either in Europe or in the Far East who survived. Some of them passed on to ‘The Latymerian’ interesting stories of their imprisonment and attempts to escape. J E Killick, who has already been mentioned for his service in both the Intelligence Corps and the Parachute Regiment, was recorded as missing after the Arnhem landings, but in the Autumn 1944 Latymerian was ‘known to be a P.O.W. in German hands’. In the Spring 1945 edition can be read the story that he 'was captured at Arnhem and ineffectually attempted to escape by concealing himself under a tarpaulin. Before his discovery he had some anxious moments when the lorry he was concealed in was attacked by British aircraft. He was sent to Oflag 79 where the Americans found him in April 1945 and sent him back to England.’ A G Lucas served first as a Drummer in the Gloucestershire Regiment. His story is told in the magazine edition of Spring 1945. By then a Corporal in the Parachute Regiment, having campaigned in Africa, Sicily and Italy, he was captured at Arnhem after an attempt to escape by swimming the Rhine. He went to Stalag 7 at Sagan, and when the Russians advanced, he was marched across Germany for 31 days to cover nearly 400 miles. Of the 5,000 who began the march, only 2,000 arrived safely, the remainder having collapsed or died from exhaustion or frostbite. He contrived to keep a secret diary of the march on scraps of paper. He was rescued by the Americans during April and in 1945 was in England. His brother identified in the magazine report only by the initial ‘J’, and also an alumnus, became a Captain in the 25th Dragoon Guards. J D Thain was listed In the December 1940 ‘Latymerian’ as serving in the Princess Louise's Regiment. He served in France and was first reported missing, and then as a P.O.W. in Germany. In Spring 1945 the magazine tells us that he had returned from prison camp where he had been since Dunkirk. ‘He acted as Camp Interpreter and now speaks French, German and Russian fluently.’ In the Autumn 1945 editions he is reported to be working as Staff Sgt Interpreter in a British Camp for German prisoners, thus reversing his former position as a prisoner. E N Foinette served as an Observer in the Royal Air Force. At Easter in 1942 ‘The Latymerian’ reported him missing after an air raid on Kiel and in July 1942 he was known to be a P.O.W. in Bavaria. He was reported as having returned home in the Autumn edition of 1945. G. Hoare was listed in July 1941 as serving in the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders and a P.O.W. P. Maisey was recorded in the July 1941 ‘Latymerian’ as having been held as a P.O.W. for over a year ‘in Stalag IX. C Kommando NR 107’. R. Biggs. Serving as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers he was listed in December 1941 as a P.O.W. in Stalag XXB, Germany. Then in the July 1942 magazine comes the report that he had written from his P.O.W. camp in Germany ‘that he is Interpreter, Camp Librarian and Canteen Organiser, and studies Public Health and Town Planning in his spare time.' F. Piejus was reported as a Prisoner of War in Germany in December 1941 and in Summer 1945 there appears the report that he had returned home ‘after several years as a P.O.W.’ J. Higgs was noted as a P.O.W. in Italy in July 1942 and as having returned to England in Spring 1945. 2
G. Gillespie served as a Trooper in the Royal Armoured Corps. In December 1942 he was reported as ‘missing in Libya, now known to be P.O.W.’. In Summer 1943 ‘The Latymerian’ has him as a P.O.W in Italy and learning Italian. In Spring 1945 comes the good news that he had ‘returned from Stalag 4B.’ R.P. Lemon is listed in December 1942 as a Gunner-Driver, P.O.W. in Germany. He had returned by Spring 1945 J. Nicholls who served in the Royal Navy was a P.O.W. in Italy noted in the Easter 1943 magazine, as also was Flight Lieutenant D. Wisdom of the Royal Air Force. The Summer 1943 edition of ‘The Latymerian’ contains the stories of the following brave men:J.L.H. Batt, Royal Corps of Signals, a P.O.W. in Italy and recovering from wounds Sergeant Pilot D.F. Endsor of the R.A.F., a P.O.W in Germany in Stalag Luft 3. He returned home by Autumn 1945 Lieutenant R. W. Spooner of the Cambridgeshire Regiment, reported missing from Singapore in July 1942, now known to be a prisoner in the hands of the Japanese. Pilot Officer J. Dubburry is reported in Autumn 1943 as being held P.O.W. in Germany, and had been awarded the D.F.C. (See the account of his award in the ‘Alumni who were awarded Medals and Decorations’ section.) The Summer 1944 edition of ‘The Latymerian’ records that Flight Lieutenant G.C. Fletcher of the R.A.F. was a P.O.W. in Germany. More of his story appears in the Spring 1945 edition, however: ‘Serving as a Bomb Aimer, he was shot down over Duisburg in 1943, descended by parachute, was taken prisoner and arrived at same prison camp as E. N. Foinette, shot down over Kiel. While prisoners they both took exams in Civil Engineering and are now back in England.’ In the Autumn 1944 magazine we read that Flight Sergeant R.L.I. Smith, reported missing in November 1943 was now known to be P.O.W. in Germany, as was (in the Summer 1944 edition) G.M. Braid, though his Service (Army Navy or RAF) and rank were left unrecorded. Major T.C. Stewart M.C. was reported in the Summer 1944 magazine as having been severely burned and injured in his arms, legs and eyes when his tank was hit and set on fire in Libya, where he was serving as a Lieutenant in the Royal Armoured Corps. He had been taken prisoner, had been in hospital for eight months, was repatriated just before Italy capitulated and he was regaining the use of his eyes and arms. Then in Spring 1945 he is recorded as a Major in the R.A.C. working at the War Office, recuperating from his many wounds and selecting candidates for commissions. After the war he joined the Maths Staff of Latymer and was for many years a fine and very popular and well-loved teacher, particularly honoured for his command of the Latymer Combined Cadet Force. (See also his mention in the section on those given medals and decorations.) His ashes were buried in the School grounds. Warrant Officer D.L. Thomas was mentioned in the Summer 1945 magazine as now returned from Stalag 344 where he met another Latymerian, A. A. Binney. W/O Thomas was one of the prisoners kept in chains for 12 hours a day for a year. 2
The Autumn edition of the magazine of 1945, records Sergeant V.B. Atterton VB (Army) as a having been captured at Singapore and then a Prisoner of War in Japanese hands, now returning to England, G.H.G. Webb of the R.A.F. who had also been a P,O.W. of the Japanese since the fall of Singapore, was also now on his way home, as was P.T. Gardner who had been captured in Java and then held in the same prison camp as Sir Stephen Bull (who was later a Governor of the School.) In Summer 1946 we read that P.J. Kay was reported back in UK after 5 years as a Prisoner of War. (He had returned from prison camp in Germany in the Summer of 1945.), that C.S. Smith who had been POW in Poland (captured near Calais) since 1940, having served in the King's Royal Rifle Corps, was now demobbed and training as a Teacher, and that N. Vearncombe , a Research Scientist who had been imprisoned at Changi (Singapore) by the Japanese during the war, had recently published an interesting article in the press on the possibilities of rocket travel to the Moon.
Alumni who were reported in the editions of ‘The Latymerian’ indicated as taking part in the D-Day Landings. Summer 1944 edition S.A. Stewart gained a Commission in the R.N.V.R. Royal Naval Commando. Then in Autumn 1945 he was noted as a Lieutenant in the R.N.V.R. working in midget submarines, who then transferred to the 'frog-men' blowing up submerged objects on French coast before D-Day. Autumn 1944 edition Midshipman D.S. Webber of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve had been in a landing craft which took part in the Normandy landings on D-Day. Engineer P. Wright also of the R.N.V.R, was serving in a tank-landing craft. His was one of the first barges to reach Normandy on D-Day and although the vessel was damaged by a mine after getting her cargo ashore, the crew brought her safely back to England. Spring 1945 edition J. Willcocks J of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, serving in Landing Craft. He took part in the first D-Day landing and in the Walcheren operations where he was wounded but now recovered and is again on service duty. A further report of his service appears in the Summer 1945 edition, saying ‘Telegrapher J.W. Willcocks of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, took part in the landings on D-Day and at Walcheren and was also in the initial assault on the Rhine crossing He has been wounded twice.’ Sergeant P.L. Fry of the Royal Corps of Signals (driver operator) went through the initial DDay landings, the Normandy, French and Belgian Campaigns and was also in the December fighting in the Ardennes with 51st Highland Division. M.L. Gordon was wounded on D Day and is now recovering. Captain E.I.B. Jeffcott of the Royal Army Service Corps had been reported earlier as training R.A.S.C. personnel in landing craft duties. As Major Jeffcott, R.A.S.C. he was in the D-Day landings, and then served on Combined Operations Staff, and was now at Middle East H.Q. in Cairo. 2
Lieutenant J.R. Oxley of the King's Dragoon Guards was injured while rescuing cases of ammunition which had fallen overboard during the D-Day landings. He recovered from resulting operation and at the time the magazine which records this was published, he was overseas with his unit again.
2
Latymerians who were awarded medals and decorations, or who were mentioned in dispatches. The dates in italics refer to the edition of ‘The Latymerian’ in which each event was reported.
Squadron Leader C. F. Rawnsley Cecil Frederick Rawnsley D.F.M. and Bar, D.F.C., D.S.O., D.F.C.(US) must surely be the most decorated Old Latymerian of the War. His fine service career is recorded step by step in ‘The Latymerian’.
Rawnsley (left) and John Cunningham
July 1941: Serving as a Sergeant in the R.A.F., he had won the Distinguished Flying Medal, and was then awarded a Bar to that medal before news of the original D.F.M. could be published. Easter 1942: now a Commissioned Officer, he had also been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for destroying four enemy aircraft while on night fighter duty. The official report highly commended his 'outstanding skill'. Summer 1943: He had shot down his 16th German bomber in night fighting operations: Autumn 1943: He had also been awarded the Distinguished Service Order, and in a letter to the Headmaster he praised the work of scientists such as his Latymer contemporary Dr Francis (son of the Chemistry Master) engaged on weapons research.
2
A summary of the information about him available from the ‘Battle of Britain Monument’ website, from which the photograph is also taken. Cecil Frederick Rawnsley was born in London and on leaving school, worked as an electrical engineer, specialising in electrical supply work. He joined 604 Squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force in late 1936 as an Aircraft Hand. In September 1937 he was accepted for training as an air gunner and he was ‘crewed up’ with John Cunningham. Early in 1938 he qualified as an air gunner at and was promoted to Leading Aircraftsman. He was called up to full-time service on 28th August 1939 and promoted to Sergeant in May 1940. Sgt. Rawnsley was later given the chance to retrain as a Radio Observer with the squadron and he and Cunningham became one of the best known and most successful of the nightfighting partnerships. They had their first victory on 5th February 1941, shooting down a Heinkel He111. Rawnsley was awarded the D.F.M. (gazetted 4th April 1941), having assisted in destroying two enemy aircraft. Then followed the award of a Bar to the D.F.M. (gazetted 23rd May 1941) for the destruction of seven enemy aircraft. Commissioned in July 1941, Rawnsley was awarded the D.F.C. (gazetted 19th September 1941). In July 1942 he was posted with Cunningham to HQ 81 Group, to assist in directing the work of night-fighter Officer Training Units. In January 1943 Cunningham was given command of 85 Squadron at Hunsdon and Rawnsley again went with him, as Navigation Leader. He was awarded the D.S.O. (gazetted 26th October 1943), having by then assisted in the destruction of seventeen enemy aircraft, sixteen of them at night. He and Cunningham were amongst the first RAF crews to use airborne radar and employed it with conspicuous success. In March 1944 Rawnsley stood down as Navigation Leader when Cunningham was posted to HQ 11 Group as Group Captain (Night Operations). He joined the Fighter Interception Unit but soon afterwards rejoined Cunningham in preparing for the invasion of Europe. Rawnsley was released in 1946 as a Squadron Leader. He was awarded the D.F.C.(U.S.) (gazetted 14th June 1946). He rejoined the Auxiliary Air Force in the Secretarial Branch. He died on 12th February 1965. He wrote the book ‘Night Fighter’ about his wartime career.
C.P.N. Newman Spring 1944: Serving as a Squadron Leader, he had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.. Autumn 1944: ‘Squadron Leader Newman has been awarded a Bar to his D.F.C. for 'gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy'. The official announcement called him 'an inspiring and gallant leader whose example has contributed materially to the high standard of operational efficiency of the squadron which he has commanded so successfully.'
2
J. Allen Easter 1943: He was reported as serving as a Flight Sergeant Bomb aimer in a Lancaster, and he had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal for his part in the first daylight attack on the port of Danzig, contributing to the success of the operation despite bad weather and then helping to bring home a badly damaged aircraft after a raid on a heavily defended town in the Ruhr. Summer 1943: He had been awarded a bar to his D.F.M. The Citation for the award said that since his previous award he had been on many operations to heavily defended enemy objectives and had ' invariably displayed keenness and courage of a high order.' W. J. Castle December 1941: He was listed as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps serving in Quetta in India. July 1942: He was then a Major in the R.A.O.C. serving in India: Summer 1943: He had been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army Ordnance Corps: Autumn 1944: Lt. Col. In the RAOC, he had been mentioned in dispatches twice for distinguished service in Burma. Autumn 1945: As a Lt Col in the R.A.O.C., he had been awarded the O.B.E. (Military Division) for his distinguished service in Burma. He was currently in Sumatra and hoped to be home in the New Year.
H. T. Holland July 1941:’The first Ealing Air Raid Warden to win the George Medal. The award was made for conspicuous courage when the Liverpool Victoria Sports Club building was bombed last September (1940). At the risk of his own life he re-entered the burning building in which the roofs were collapsing and rescued another injured warden. He saved the other man's life but was himself injured’.
D.L. Bisgood Easter 1942: Serving as a Flight Lieutenant, he had been awarded the D.F.C. for the outstanding meteorological flights of which he was in charge. He had also shot down 4 enemy aircraft. Easter 1943: He had been promoted to Squadron Leader and become engaged to Miss Sheelagh Fyffe of Sheffield.
A.M. Cantor July 1942: Serving as a Captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps, he was awarded the Military Cross ‘for conspicuous gallantry’. In the Middle East, while under heavy fire, he continued to attend his patients and was severely wounded. 2
Spring 1944: He had recovered from his wounds and was serving in South Africa.
S. G. Strong July 1942; He was listed as serving in the Fleet Air Arm. Spring 1945: He had been mentioned in dispatches ‘for courage and determination’ during invasions of Italy and southern France.
J. Harvey. Dec 1942: He was reported as serving in the R.A.F. and training in Rhodesia. Spring 1945: Now a Flying Officer, he had been mentioned in dispatches and awarded the D.F.C. for bravery. D. G. Llanwarne Easter 1943: He was in training for air crew duties: Autumn 1943: He had become the first Englishman to be awarded the Brandon Plaque presented by citizens of Brandon to Cadet gaining top marks in the Canadian Flying School. He had also been promoted from Sergeant to Pilot Officer.
H. Mote Easter 1943: Serving with the rank of Captain in the Royal Corps of Signals, he had recently been decorated by the Fighting French Forces with the Cross of Lorraine for keeping open communications under difficult circumstances. He had then spent Christmas 1942 in England on tactical course at Staff College, had then flown 1000 miles to recommence active service in the Middle East, and had been wounded. Autumn 1943: He had been promoted to Major in the R.C.S. in the Middle East.
S. Midwinter Easter 1943: Serving as a Trooper in the Royal Tank Regiment, he had been awarded the Military Medal for bravery. He had driven a Medical Officer into a minefield under heavy fire to attend the wounded and then ‘contributed materially to their evacuation from the danger area’. D. W. Woolley Easter 1943: He had been awarded the D.F.M. while serving as a Sergeant/Bomb Aimer. He had been on 33 operations over enemy territory including the 1000 bomber raids on Cologne and Essen and first 4 night raids on Italy. He had also been on daylight raids on Milan and Le Creusot and was now on instructional duties. Spring 1945: He had been promoted to Flight Lieutenant. Having been awarded the D.F.M. as a Sergeant Navigator, he had now also been awarded the D.F.C. The citation says 'This Officer has a praiseworthy record of 56 operational flights and has carried out 23 of these 2
with the Pathfinder Force. Throughout Flt/Lt Woolley has maintained a high standard of courage and ability, despite the constant enemy opposition encountered. He has always set an excellent example by his determination to make every sortie successful, and at all times his work both in the air and on the ground has been worthy of the highest praise'. He is at present in Montreal with Transport Command to which he was recently transferred. H.G. Bentley Summer 1943: Captain Bentley of the Merchant Navy had been awarded the M.B.E. 'When his ship was sunk, he displayed courage, coolness and judgment throughout and though injured he took an active part in rescuing survivors.'
D. Chalker Summer 1943 Leading Aircraftsman, in N Africa, he had been mentioned in dispatches for devotion to duty during landing operations. ‘He says he had the pleasure of eating an orange pulled straight off the tree.’ P.R.H. Henry Summer 1943 Flt/Lt Henry was with first flight of Wellingtons to cross the Alps and attack Turin, and twice mentioned in dispatches. In Spring 1944 he was reported missing ‘after the Brunswick raid of Jan 14th 1944.’ T. Herbert Summer 1943 Flt/Lt. Herbert had served in the First World War and as a Reserve Officer had been called up for current war. He had been mentioned in dispatches for duties connected with the big Cologne raid. S.M. Sheppard Summer 1943 A Captain in the Royal Armoured Corps, he was currently an instructor in tanks and had won the King's Belt while at Sandhurst. Sergeant Bennett (no initial given) Autumn 1943 Serving with the rank of Sergeant, he had won the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal for bravery during a raid on Berlin in August. The award citation related: 'He put out a fire with his bare hands while his bomber was over Berlin, although he was badly injured in the chest. His action helped to save the bomber and its crew.' Recovering from wounds and burns. J. Dubburry Autumn 1943 A Pilot Officer then held as a P.O.W. in Germany, he had been awarded the D.F.C.. The citation read 'This officer has completed many operational flights with the Squadron. He has always displayed skill courage and determination in pressing home his attacks. In February 1943, he was captain of an aircraft detailed to attack five enemy cruisers. In spite of fierce opposition and damage to his aircraft, he continued with his mission, pressed home his attack and flew successfully to base. On another occasion one engine of his aircraft failed while on a night sortie. By skilful airmanship he flew his aircraft to base and made a successful crash-landing in very difficult weather. In all his attacks on enemy shipping this officer has shown initiative, skill and gallantry of a very high order.' 2
L. Hayward Spring 1944: He was mentioned in the magazine as ‘Louis Hayward the Film Star’. As a Captain in the U.S. Marines, he was commanding the U.S. Marine Combat Photographers who had landed with the first wave of troops at Sarewa. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. In Summer 1944 he was reported to have been honourably discharged from the U.S. Forces. [Louis Charles Hayward was born in Johannesburg in 1909 and educated in France and, at Latymer, in London. He began his career by opening a night club but had a calling for the theatre and came under the wing of Noel Coward, who took him to New York in 1935. He then moved to Hollywood and made numerous films including the lead in the first film version of Leslie Charteris’ ‘The Saint’ stories, ‘The Saint in New York, in a dual role in ‘The Man in the Iron Mask’, and in ‘The son of Monte Cristo.’ After his war service be starred in the film ‘And then there were None’ and began a successful television career as well as playing King Arthur in the National Theatre production of ‘Camelot’ in the 1960’s. He retired from acting in the 1970’s and died in 1985.]
E.W. Harbutt Summer 1944: He is listed as a Sergeant Pilot in the R.A.F. Autumn 1945: Now promoted to Flight Lieutenant, and piloting a rocket firing Typhoon, he had been awarded the D.F.C. ‘for bravery and consistent devotion to duty’.
N. Rigby Summer 1944: Serving as a Flying Officer, he had returned from Canada and was recorded as flying a Beaufighter for Coastal Command in Egypt: Summer 1944: Now a Flight Lieutenant Navigator he had been appointed Navigation Officer for his Squadron in the Middle East, had visited Johannesburg and been awarded the Africa Star. T.C. Stewart Autumn 1945: A Major in the Royal Armoured Corps, he was now demobilised and had joined the staff of the School. He was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry before his capture, (see his entry also in the ‘Prisoners of War’ section) but the award was delayed until his release from prison camp. A.J.F. Tarby Summer 1944: Serving as a Lieutenant in the Derbyshire Yeomanry, he reported that he had served in Libya, caught malaria and jaundice, and been mentioned several times in dispatches for bravery. J.M. Bailey Autumn 1944 A Major in the Royal Army Service Corps, he had been awarded the Military Cross. J.A. Beard Autumn 1944: While serving as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Reconnaissance Corps, he had won M.C. in Italy. The citation for the awarded stated: ‘At Graziane last October he carried out a reconnaissance to discover a ford for tanks, and waded into the river in six places in full view
2
of the enemy. Though he was fired at and attacked with grenades he spent five hours at this task and obtained much valuable information with utter disregard for his own safety’.
R. Bradwell Autumn 1944: A Flight Lieutenant serving in Malta and the Middle East, he had been awarded the D.F.C. for 'keenness, determination and courage' and had shot down at least 3 enemy aircraft. O.E. Burger Autumn 1943: He was serving as a Pilot Officer, having received his commission after operations tour including raids on Hamburg, Cologne and Essen, in which he had been a Wireless Operator and Air Gunner. Autumn 1944: Now a Pilot Officer, but he had been a Sergeant Wireless Operator and Gunner before his commission and won the D.F.M. for his service over Germany. (Poignantly, his two brothers, both alumni and one still a pupil at Latymer, were killed at home in a V1 attack in August 1944.) W.J. Carn Autumn 1944: Now a test pilot at Farnborough. When serving as a Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps, Glider Pilot Regt, he had been awarded the M.C. for gallantry in the Sicily landings. With 6 other airborne troops he had held out against heavy Italian attacks and eventually taken the surrender of over 200 Italians, though he and his friends were all seriously wounded. There was not one who could stand up to receive the Italians' surrender and Carn had had both ankles fractured.
C.V. Ciano Autumn 1944: A Squadron Leader, he had done 2 tours of operations and gained the D.F.C. He was now Base Navigating Officer in Bomber Command. D.A. Cole Autumn 1944: Now in the Royal Navy, he had formerly been on the staff of the ‘Daily Telegraph’. Spring 1945; He had won the shield for best recruit. Dr J.P. Turney Autumn 1944: He was serving as a Captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps in Italy. He had been mentioned in dispatches for bravery and ingenuity at the Anzio beachhead, when the Regimental Aid Post which he was commanding came under heavy fire. He improvised a red cross flag with a towel and red paint and made repeated journeys with his Sergeant in a carrier under heavy shell and mortar fire until he had organised the complete evacuation of the post. He was still attending casualties when the enemy were 300 yards away.
2
C.E. Haynes Spring 1945: A Flight Lieutenant, he had done 45 trips, many as a Pathfinder. He had been awarded the D.F.C. and was now an Instructor.
W.R. Smith Spring 1945: A Corporal in the Royal Corps of Service, he had served in the Middle East, Sicily and Italy and mentioned in dispatches for outstanding service. He was now serving as a Corporal at Thirsk after 5 years of overseas service.
R. Bradwell Spring 1945: He had been awarded the D.F.C. He had served as a night fighter pilot during 1940-1 then served in Malta, Sicily and Italy and now commanded a flight of a famous night fighter squadron. He had personally destroyed three flying bombs in the 1944 attacks and shot down three enemy aircraft.
H.W.T. Enoch Spring 1945: He had been awarded the D.F.C. for 'fortitude, courage and devotion to duty during operations against the enemy’. He was Pilot and Captain of the veteran Lancaster 'G for George' on its hundredth operational flight.
C.C. Evans Spring 1945: A Lieutenant serving in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, he had seen service in the Mediterranean for 2 years and been mentioned in dispatches. He was now back in England. S.K. Toulson Spring 1945: Serving as a Lieutenant in the R.A.S.C., he had been awarded the Military Medal at Vimy in 1940. Now commissioned, he was serving with the Air Transport Supply on the India Burma frontier. R.T. Turton Spring 1945: Serving as a Squadron Leader, he had been awarded the D.F.C. ‘having served in England, S Africa, N. Africa, various places in the Middle East and now Italy’. P.A.J. Carroll Autumn 1945: A Pilot Officer, he had been awarded the D.F.C. in January 1945. The citation for the award reads; ‘While attacking Hanover, his aircraft was hit. One engine was smashed from its mountings, all the navigational aids and radio equipment were destroyed and the 2
bomb doors wrecked. Carroll worked for two hours in intense cold and at enormous personal risk to release the bombs by hand before a crash landing could be made’. In more recent years after the war he presented the Pat Carroll sports cup to the School to be competed for each year.
B.T. Oberst Summer 1945: Serving with the rank of Major in the Indian Army Ordnance Corps, he had been awarded an M.B.E. for conspicuous gallantry at a large fire and explosion in Bombay early in 1945. It was also reported that he had achieved 4th place in a recent examination for Senior Officers covering no fewer than 32 subjects.
J. Reed Summer 1945: A Squadron Leader, he had been mentioned in dispatches. A.D.G. Shaw Summer 1945: A Captain in the Royal Artillery, he had been awarded both the Distinguished Service Order and the Croix de Guerre for his bravery in Normandy and at the Nijmegen battle. W.B. Wilton Summer 1945: During the attack on Bremen, he was Captain in charge of a column of Churchill tanks, and when held up by a band of German Bazooka gunners in a village, he organised an immediate attack to clear the obstruction and was awarded the M.C. for his bravery and initiative. He had been wounded.
A.G.W. King Autumn 1945: A Warrant Officer, he had been awarded the D.F.C., the citation for his award stating; ‘Throughout 2 tours of operations he displayed outstanding skill and devotion to duty, though operating in the worst possible monsoon weather’.
L.A. Rowe Autumn 1945: Serving as a Lieutenant in the Pioneer Corps, it was reported that he had been in action in many zones, and been awarded the M.B.E. (Military Division) ‘for distinguished service with special amphibious forces in the Adriatic’. E.A. Simms Autumn 1945: Serving as a Navigation Officer in Bomber Command with the rank of Flight Lieutenant, he had been awarded the D.F.C. for 9 successful raids on Berlin.
2
R.W. Tyler Autumn 1945: He was serving in the Fleet Air Arm and had been awarded the D.F.M ‘for his bravery while attacking the U Boat base at Kilboten in Norway in May’. A.E. Hollis Summer 1946: He had been awarded an M.B.E. for his services as Clothing, Textiles and Sports Equipment buyer to the N.A.A.F.I. H.G. Stewart Spring 1945: Serving as a Captain with the Durham Regiment in the Royal Corps of Signals, he went through the Anzio landing and Italian campaign as Signals Officer of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, and was now in Palestine as Adjutant of the 1st Division Signals and he reported that has been playing a lot of cricket. Summer 1946: Having reached the rank of Major in his service in the Middle East, he was now home and Physics Master at Barnard Castle School. He had been mentioned in dispatches, awarded the M.B.E. and was engaged to be married.
A.J. Edney Summer 1946: A Brigadier with Allied Control Commission in Vienna, he had been awarded a C.B.E. in the recent Honours list. E.H. Edney Summer 1946: While serving in India as a Major, he had been awarded the Efficiency Decoration. S.E. Drake Summer 1946: It is now recorded that he had been mentioned in dispatches in 1944
Other stories of heroism, gallantry, determination and promotion. E. W. Phillips He served as a 2nd Lt in Royal North Lancashire Regiment. The December 1940 edition of ‘The Latymerian’ contained a letter from him. He had been in the vanguard in Belgium and the rearguard at Dunkirk in a battalion effecting a counter attack on the last day, only three men got through. He himself had been wounded in the leg. In Spring 1944 he was listed as a Captain in Royal Armoured Corps. After the war he became Chairman of the School Governors.
2
W. C. Brown. Being born on November 11th 1911, Bill Brown was for some years, until his death in 2015, the oldest surviving Old Latymerian, and possibly the last surviving Alumnus to have been interviewed for entry to the School by the first Headmaster, The Rev. C. J. Smith. An electrical engineer by profession before the war, Bill joined the R.A.F. and rose to the rank of Flight Lieutenant. He specialised in radio and radar both in air and on ground. He served in N. Africa, (where he is thought to have been the first R.A.F. officer (certainly among the first) to set foot on enemy territory deliberately in setting up communications systems at the bridgehead with troops from France and the United States), Italy and France after D Day.
D.H. Green. In July 1941 he is reported as in training in the Officer Cadet Unit for service with heavy tanks. Further notice of his war comes in the Summer 1947 magazine. He had been with the Special Tank Squadron during the War. ‘He was submerged in water and mud in his tank, dropped from a glider alongside his tank, driven over mine fields and many other hazardous things; all this experimentally to test the durability of tanks and the reactions of men in particular situations.’
L.R. Burt The Easter 1942 magazine records him as a Trooper in the Royal Armoured Corps in training as a wireless operator. In Spring 1945 comes the news that as a Lance Corporal in the Airborne Division he had been wounded during the Rhine assault but now recovering.
N.H..Kempson At Easter in 1942 he was a Sub Lieutenant on flying duties with Fleet Air Arm: In Summer 1943 the magazine carries the news that his plane had crashed in the sea 80 miles from Malta and he had spent 9 days in a rubber dinghy with no water and only his watch and the sun for navigation. He was now safely back in England.
P.G. Mellett In December 1942 he was mentioned as a Sergeant in the Royal Corps of Signals, in training for special duties. Then in Summer 1943 he was listed as a Lance Corporal and on Spring 1944 he was training wireless operators. Finally in Autumn 1944 after 6 months as an instructor in wireless to the A.T.S., he had been injured by a flying bomb when on field duty., but was now recovering and about to train for commission.
W. Savage He was reported in December 1942 as a Pilot Officer serving in the East. He had been torpedoed 3 times on the way there.
2
S.G. Sutton In December 1942 ‘The Latymerian’ records him as serving as a Sub Lieutenant in H.M.S. Airedale when she was torpedoed, but he had been rescued and was now in H.M.S. Javelin.
A.J. Bailey At Easter in 1943 he is mentioned as a Captain in the Royal Artillery. In Autumn 1944 he was reported as the youngest announcer in the Army Forward Broadcasting Unit in Italy.
A. A.C. Pugh In the magazine published in Summer 1944 he is recorded as a Lieutenant in the R.N.V.R., and that he had taken part in the Sicily landings, and been severely concussed when his landing craft was bombed. He had spent a month in hospital in Tripoli, and was now on Lord Louis Mountbatten's staff in India.
The Holifield brothers: A. Holifield was reported in the Autumn 1944 ‘Latymerian’ as serving as a Captain in the R.C.S. in Italy and had met his brother, Lt. M. Holifield, when his ship was in Naples. Lt Holifield was reported in the same edition as in charge of landing craft serving in the central Mediterranean area. Also in Autumn 1944 there is the news that J.Holifield, who had been serving as a Lieutenant with the Royal Navy protecting the convoys to Russia, was now an Admiralty Inspector in England.
P. Hollis The Autumn 1944 magazine records that, serving as a Sub Lieutenant in the R.N.V.R., he had been one of the Barracuda pilots who had attacked and bombed the Tirpitz. He had personally scored 3 direct hits.
C.G. Dewen In Spring 1945 he was a Leading Seaman in the RNVR, had been top of his class and taken 5 prizes at the Royal Naval Auxiliary Hospital. He was now in the Far East on a Hospital Carrier- a converted Dutch passenger vessel. E708.
N.M.C Edwards The Spring 1945 ‘Latymerian’ recorded him as having been a Flight Officer serving in Greece, and then spending 3 months behind the enemy lines in France. He had been released by the Allied advance since D Day.
2
M.L. Friend He had been invalided out of the Forces, reported the Spring 1945 magazine. Previously he had been an Air Gunner Instructor with special permission to fly at the age of 40 (he left L.U.S. in 1918) and served in the Middle East. L.H. Friend Lance Bombardier in the Honourable Artillery Company who had served in Middle East and Italy, he was, said the report in the Spring 1945 magazine as the oldest man in his battery (he had left L.U.S. in 1922). A.B. Strauss His story appears in the Spring 1945 ‘Latymerian. He had graduated with the degree of B.A. at Oberlin College Ohio and was now in England as Lance Corporal in an Anti Aircraft Battery of the United States Army. He had been a pre-war refugee from the Nazis and welcomed as a pupil at Latymer. E. Waller The Spring 1945 magazine reports that as a Flight Officer Navigator and Bomb Aimer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve , he had also served as a photographic officer in Africa, Mediterranean and Italy, on 81 operational flights, and had now returned to England.
R.T. Mc Culley He had left LUS in 1939 and in Spring 1945 he was reported to be working in Birch Coppice Colliery Staffordshire. G Symes The Summer 1946 edition of ‘The Latymerian’ says that he was ‘Now going back to life as Schoolmaster after work in colliery near Burton on Trent. These two Alumni may have been among the ‘Bevin Boys’, young men conscripted (or in some cases having volunteered) not to serve in the forces but in the mines. H.L.M. Brown In Summer 1945 ‘The Latymerian’ records that as a Sergeant in the Royal Corps of Signals he had served as personal wireless officer to Field Marshall Montgomery. He had described in a broadcast his experiences when he transmitted the signal to German H.Q. that the German emissaries had capitulated and signed surrender terms.
J.A. McD. Goddard His wartime story comes in the Summer 1945 edition of the magazine. He had been on the School Staff, teaching P.E. He joined the R.A.F. in 1940 to train airborne troops in parachuting. He later transferred to airborne duties and went to the East where his bomber was shot down and he received serious burns, recovering after 10 months in hospital.
2
W. Grauberg Summer 45 He had come to Latymer as a young refugee from Germany, and in Summer 1945 was in training with the Queen's West Surrey Regiment. After the war he became a member of the School Staff and was very actively involved in setting up the long standing link with the Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums in Hamburg. A.G. Terry In the Autumn 1945 magazine he is listed as serving as a Pilot Officer in the Far East. Following the war he became School Secretary at Latymer, then took a degree at Birkbeck College, was appointed to the teaching staff and taught Geography. For many years he served Latymer as a fine Second Master and died in 2018. J. F. C. Springford. Mentioned in July 1941 as under training as Officer Cadet in Royal Tank Regiment, by December 1942, he was a 2nd Lt in the Royal Armoured Corps in India. By Autumn 1944 he had been promoted to Captain in the Indian Army and was about to be transferred the to Indian Civil Service. In Spring 1945 ,a Captain in the Indian Army he was appointed Assistant Political Agent for Baluchistan.
A.D. Stokes In Summer 1945 a report of his extensive and significant wartime service appeared in ‘The Latymerian’. A Captain in the Royal Army Service Corps, he went through the battles of Falaise, the Ardennes and the Rhine. His company was the first to enter Brussels. They travelled so fast that they outran their official maps and went on using a Tourist Guide. Later he was with the American Airborne Division and was among the first to enter the notorious Belsen concentration camp. D. Stovey Listed in the magazine in Summer 1945 as a Leading Aircraftsman on Air Sea Rescue duty, While in Iceland he had served on the staff of Col. Baraskowsky, of the U.S.S.R. Navy, who had presented him with the Station Ensign as a souvenir.
H.N. Woolhouse In Summer 1946 he was recorded as at home after 5 years in the Royal Navy on Russian convoys. He had also been torpedoed in action against the Italian fleet off Pantelleria. J.C. Frawley He had served with a bomb disposal squad in Africa, and was now returning home. This was reported in the Summer 1946 edition of the magazine. I. Percival. He was mentioned in the December 1940 ‘Latymerian’ as in training for a commission in the Honourable Artillery Company. By December 1942 he had reached the rank of Captain in the 2nd Buffs and was serving in the Middle East. After the war he became an M.P., received 2
a Knighthood and was appointed Solicitor General. In 1980 he opened the then new Latymer Sports Hall. And finally some perhaps lighter wartime experiences recalled in the ‘Old Boys Serving in the Forces’ pages of ‘The Latymerian.’ R.F. Brader In the Summer of 1943 he was mentioned as serving in the R.A.F. as a Leading Aircraftsman. He also played tenor saxophone and clarinet in his station’s military band and dance band. L. Lowthian A Squadron Leader, at Easter 1943 he had recently broadcast on 'In Town Tonight'.
J.C.H. Bayliss Mentioned in December 1942 as the Son of a prominent Latymer Master and an Aircraftsman 2 stationed near Cambridge and by Summer 1943 promoted to Pilot Officer, in Autumn 1944 he had had several poems published in 'R.A.F. Poetry': In the Spring of 1945 serving in India. F.A.L. Layton In Spring 1945, a Lance Bombardier in the Royal Artillery, he was serving in E Africa and singing in the Choir of Nairobi Cathedral.
2