History (7)

The Wartime Years 1939-1945 (continued)

Foots Cray is an ancient village where nearby the Greater London suburban town of Sidcup was developed between the wars and as such it suffered to some extent from the German bombing of London. The College was granted sub-warden status, which meant it received early warning of approaching bombers. On air raid alert cadets would repair to the basement and at night senior cadets were rostered on "Fire Watch" duty. Stationed on the roof their task was to report any wayward incendiary bombs falling on or near the building - stirrup pumps and extinguishers were at the ready!

On one such night in 1944, the duty firewatchers were alarmed and mystified to see flying objects with their tails alight coming form the South at regular intervals. They were witnessing the first of Hitler's secret weapons - the flying bomb or V1. Soon they started arriving by day as well, which necessitated a cadet standing watch ready to blow a whistle should an approaching bomb be on a flight patch likely to pass overhead. When this was judged to be the case the watch cadet blew his whistle which sent cadets from their lessons down to the relative safety of the basement. Later that year the South East of England became the target of the V2 or rocket. Though more devastating in their impact, they were less nerve racking than the V1 as their arrival was totally unannounced by any noise or other phenonomen.

The College had the greatest of good fortune during these years. The only bomb damage of significance was the demolition of the Lodge during the summer holidays - during term time it provided overflow sleeping quarters for a dozen or more cadets. A single fatality was recorded during the War Years at Foots Cray - the handyman/cricket coach was killed by an unexploded British ack-ack shell falling on the College lorry as he drove from Greenhithe to Foots Cray.

Hostilities finally ceased with the defeat of Japan in August 1945. Captain Steele returned from his wartime duties and resumed his position by relieving Acting Captain Superintendent Jackson in the Michaelmas Term and Cornel Donner joined the staff as Third Officer.

Reflecting on those troubled years Captain Jackson, Chief Officer Richardson, Headmaster Luly and their respective staffs deserve high praise for maintaining without interruption the day to day activities and standards of the College. No special occasion was missed or cancelled during this period and Sports Day, Section Day, Prize Giving and Gold Medal Day and all sporting fixtures successfully took place.

(Our thanks to (45) Brian Barkway Jones
for compiling this section on the Foots Cray.)