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Title THE HEMEL HEMPSTEAD SCHOOL DURING THE WAR YEARS

Description

The school opened in 1931, so was still relatively new when the war began in 1939. It was a two form entry grammar school (HHGS) with approximately 330 pupils aged 11 to 16. There was no Sixth Form at this time. Children had to pass an exam in order to come to the school. Some won a scholarship and were awarded a free place by the County Council but others paid a small fee for tuition, books and sports.
The catchment area was large with children coming from Kings Langley, Berkhamsted and even from Harpenden via the Nicky Line*.
Pupils were divided into four houses ? Salisbury, Halsey, Tudor and Dacorum. The houses competed against each other in sports and chess competitions.
The Head Teacher was Mr N.H. Screeton.

THE BUILDINGS

There was just one building, now called the main block, with the ?old gym? at the back. There were separate playgrounds and entrances for boys and girls. The boys? playground was where the Sixth Form block is now situated and the girls? was in the area near to the Heath Lane entrance to the school, outside the food technology rooms. The main assembly Hall was in what is now PA1 and there were separate staffrooms for men and women. There was no dining room, so meals were taken in ?the back corridor? with the kitchen in the room we now call Resources. General classrooms were off the upstairs corridor with the big room under the tower (now IT2) being the Art Room. There were three Science labs, a Domestic Science (Food Technology) room and a workshop in the back or Science corridor.

WAR TIME PRECAUTIONS

Every child was issued with a gas mask which had to be carried everywhere and indeed, you were sent home if you forgot to bring it to school. The school tower was painted grey as it was considered too much of a landmark for the German Luftwaffe, and the windows of the school were taped up to prevent flying glass. Trenches were dug by the Anchor Lane entrance as part of the defensive air raid precautions but as far as anyone can recall, were never used. They quickly filled up with water and were soon abandoned.

Members of the Royal Artillery used the Gym and lecture room after school hours for training purposes, though what exactly they were doing is not made clear. They also used the showers and the school charged them 2d a man for the privilege! But relations between themselves and the school could not have been bad as several friendly football matches were played.

THE AIR RAID SHELTER

The girls? cycle sheds were sandbagged and turned into an air raid shelter. They proved to be big enough to accommodate most of the school and indeed, they were even divided into smaller units and some sort of lessons were held there until the all-clear sounded. Staff would practise herding everyone into this makeshift shelter and could move everyone in under three minutes! Modern readers will be wondering where the shelter was as we don?t have any girls? cycle sheds today. They were situated where the Food Technology rooms are now. The sheds were an underground area that stretched all along that elevation of the school past the former girls? toilets, now used by the staff, up to M16. You can still see the bricked up arches there. It was dark, dingy and badly lit and must have been a nightmare for the staff to cope with, although you can?t help thinking that some of the pupils at least would have enjoyed the drama of it all.

STAFF AND PUPILS

The school took in many refugees and evacuated children and became overcrowded as the war progressed. One entire school, the Roman Catholic St Ignatius College from Tottenham, London, moved to HHGS. The boys were billeted with local families.

Many former pupils and members of staff served in the armed forces. Jack Boucher, the woodwork teacher was awarded the DFM, as was former pupil Kenneth Allum. Brian Slade (named on the memorial plaque as Ivor Slade) and Gordon Tomkins were awarded the DFC In Italy, C A Hamilton and C J Finch were mentioned in dispatches. Sadly, ten young men who were ex-pupils of the school were killed during the war.

* The Nicky Line ? A railway line that ran between Harpenden and Hemel Hempstead via Redbourn. The train consisted of an old fashioned steam engine and a rather tattered old coach and was known to the school children as ?Nicky?.

This description includes extracts from ?A Brief History of Hemel Hempstead School, Celebrating 75 Years 1931 ? 2006? by Colin Hollick.

Keywords Mr Screeton, air raid shelter, gas mask, Royal Artillery, St Ignatius College, Nicky Line

Collection Hemel Hempstead School

Place Hemel Hempstead

Year 1939 -45

Conflict World War Two

File type html

Record ID number 120

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Title	THE HEMEL HEMPSTEAD SCHOOL DURING THE WAR YEARS
Description	The school opened in 1931, so was still relatively new when the war began in 1939. It was a two form entry grammar school (HHGS) with approximately 330 pupils aged 11 to 16. There was no Sixth Form at this time. Children had to pass an exam in order to come to the school. Some won a scholarship and were awarded a free place by the County Council but others paid a small fee for tuition, books and sports. The catchment area was large with children coming from Kings Langley, Berkhamsted and even from Harpenden via the Nicky Line. Pupils were divided into four houses ? Salisbury, Halsey, Tudor and Dacorum. The houses competed against each other in sports and chess competitions. The Head Teacher was Mr N.H. Screeton. THE BUILDINGS There was just one building, now called the main block, with the ?old gym? at the back. There were separate playgrounds and entrances for boys and girls. The boys? playground was where the Sixth Form block is now situated and the girls? was in the area near to the Heath Lane entrance to the school, outside the food technology rooms. The main assembly Hall was in what is now PA1 and there were separate staffrooms for men and women. There was no dining room, so meals were taken in ?the back corridor? with the kitchen in the room we now call Resources. General classrooms were off the upstairs corridor with the big room under the tower (now IT2) being the Art Room. There were three Science labs, a Domestic Science (Food Technology) room and a workshop in the back or Science corridor. WAR TIME PRECAUTIONS Every child was issued with a gas mask which had to be carried everywhere and indeed, you were sent home if you forgot to bring it to school. The school tower was painted grey as it was considered too much of a landmark for the German Luftwaffe, and the windows of the school were taped up to prevent flying glass. Trenches were dug by the Anchor Lane entrance as part of the defensive air raid precautions but as far as anyone can recall, were never used. They quickly filled up with water and were soon abandoned. Members of the Royal Artillery used the Gym and lecture room after school hours for training purposes, though what exactly they were doing is not made clear. They also used the showers and the school charged them 2d a man for the privilege! But relations between themselves and the school could not have been bad as several friendly football matches were played. THE AIR RAID SHELTER The girls? cycle sheds were sandbagged and turned into an air raid shelter. They proved to be big enough to accommodate most of the school and indeed, they were even divided into smaller units and some sort of lessons were held there until the all-clear sounded. Staff would practise herding everyone into this makeshift shelter and could move everyone in under three minutes! Modern readers will be wondering where the shelter was as we don?t have any girls? cycle sheds today. They were situated where the Food Technology rooms are now. The sheds were an underground area that stretched all along that elevation of the school past the former girls? toilets, now used by the staff, up to M16. You can still see the bricked up arches there. It was dark, dingy and badly lit and must have been a nightmare for the staff to cope with, although you can?t help thinking that some of the pupils at least would have enjoyed the drama of it all. STAFF AND PUPILS The school took in many refugees and evacuated children and became overcrowded as the war progressed. One entire school, the Roman Catholic St Ignatius College from Tottenham, London, moved to HHGS. The boys were billeted with local families. Many former pupils and members of staff served in the armed forces. Jack Boucher, the woodwork teacher was awarded the DFM, as was former pupil Kenneth Allum. Brian Slade (named on the memorial plaque as Ivor Slade) and Gordon Tomkins were awarded the DFC In Italy, C A Hamilton and C J Finch were mentioned in dispatches. Sadly, ten young men who were ex-pupils of the school were killed during the war. The Nicky Line ? A railway line that ran between Harpenden and Hemel Hempstead via Redbourn. The train consisted of an old fashioned steam engine and a rather tattered old coach and was known to the school children as ?Nicky?. This description includes extracts from ?A Brief History of Hemel Hempstead School, Celebrating 75 Years 1931 ? 2006? by Colin Hollick.
Keywords	Mr Screeton, air raid shelter, gas mask, Royal Artillery, St Ignatius College, Nicky Line
Collection	Hemel Hempstead School
Place	Hemel Hempstead
Year	1939 -45
Conflict	World War Two
File type	html
Record ID number	120