Churcherians at War

If any of you have connections with Churchers College, Petersfield, a book I have just written should interest you. It is called The Men who Marched Away and tells the story of the 100 Churcherians who were killed in the two world wars. One of these, Captain Harold Glasspool Baker MC of the Somerset Light Infantry, who was killed in France in April 1918, is commemorated on his parent's tombstone only a few yards from the west door of St George's, his father being a local doctor. Harold Martin, named on the war memorial in the church porch, was also a Churcherian.

Some 350 boys served in the First World War of whom 50 were killed. The majority died on the western front such as Second Lieutenant William Whittington, a victim of an horrendous gas attack in 1915. Others died in Salonika, Palestine and Mesopotamia whilst Lt Elliott bizarrely had the misfortune to be shot by mutinous sepoys in Singapore. Another casualty, Harold Locke, is not recorded on the Churchers Memorial, but perished at sea when the RMS Leinster, a mail boat travelling from Dublin to Holyhead was torpedoed in the Irish Sea by a German U-Boat in October 1918. Over 500 passengers and crew perished, the greatest maritime disaster in Irish history.

By 1939 the school had trebled in size to 300 boys. Over 600 saw military service and 47 died. Many died as a result of aircraft accidents or whilst flying with Bomber Command. One of them, Raymond Johnson was killed when his plane crashed into Chichester Harbour as he was attempting to land on Thorney Island air strip. He is buried in the churchyard there alongside British and German pilots killed in the Battle of Britain.

Then there is Squadron Leader Ian Cross, DFC from Hayling Island. He was a gallant bomber pilot shot down in the North Sea in 1942 whilst attacking the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. He and four crew members scrambled into a dinghy and drifted in freezing conditions for 60 hours until they were picked up and taken prisoner. Sadly Ian Cross did not survive the war being one of the 50 airmen murdered by the Gestapo after taking part in the Great Escape from Sagam POW camp in 1944. He lies buried in Poland but quite by chance I have found his name inscribed on a family tombstone in Christ Church Portsdown churchyard.

The youngest Churcherian killed was 18 year old Edward Oxspring, a merchant navy cadet on his first voyage in March 1940. His ship MV Domala was attacked by a Heinkel bomber off St Catherine's Point, Isle of Wight. The oldest Churcherian killed was 56 year old Charles Chapman of Petersfield. He was Chief Mate of SS Nimbin mined off the coast of New South Wales in 1940. Two of his brothers - all Churcherians - had been killed in the First World War.

Naturally most of those killed came from Petersfield and Liss areas, but others can be found on memorials in Liphook, Bramshott, East Meon, Buriton, Rogate, Emsworth, Havant, Sheet, Bosham, Midhurst and Rowlands Castle. Others came from Portsmouth and Southsea, Chichester and the Isle of Wight. Because Churchers was a boarding school others came from farther afield such as London, Kent, Surrey, Twyford (Berks), Ormskirk (Lancs), Anglesey, Newbury and Milton Abbas (Dorset), four served with the Canadian Army, one with the South African forces whilst the three Frend brothers from Argentina also volunteered. One was killed whilst the other two were decorated for gallantry. At least two were born in India, both sons of the Raj.

Tracking them all down has been a challenge but a most interesting and rewarding one. The school can be proud of its record in the two wars. The book, which also contains some 60 photographs, can be obtained direct from me. The price is £8.50.

John Symonds