Blasts from the Past: Acts of giving – remembering the fallen

I always find the annual Remembrance service incredibly moving. It is no longer possible to fit the whole school into the Great Hall so instead we congregate around the new quad, which sits behind it. As pupils and staff walk to their allotted places, the names of those who died in conflict are read out. Many of the names are familiar to me, I know their stories. But even for those who don’t, the sheer number of names cannot fail to make an impact. 173 King’s alumni died in the First World War, at least 144 in the Second. Many were not much older than the current sixth formers; so many young men went straight from school into active service.

Visually, the focal point of the service is the First World War Memorial, which now stands at the heart of the new quad, having been moved from its original location close to the rugby pitch. Here the wreaths are laid, later some will be placed on the stone monument to those who lost their lives in the Second World War up in the Great Hall.  I am reminded of the heartfelt words of reflection, spoken when these respective symbols of gratitude were first unveiled:

‘Their thoughts went forth that day to family circles, now for ever deprived of one of their best loved members, and their hearts turned, too, to the relatives of the fallen and to the mothers who were mourning the loss of their sons, and perhaps of their only son.’ (1921)

‘Some of them were thinking of one such person who was dear to them, a son, a brother, perhaps a father, thinking of what he was, and might still have been had things been different. Some were thinking of old pupils and friends whose memory they treasured.’ (1950)

We are used to seeing stone memorials to commemorate our dead. I was touched to discover, however, that, at King’s, the first impulse was to take care of the living, those left behind. To give something in the name of those who had given so much. When a memorial fund was initiated after the First World War, the priority was people:

‘With regard to the fund, the committee wished to provide for the education at the school of the sons of old boys killed in the war, should there be any who might wish to receive such education. This had been done, and a sum of money set apart in case there might be belated requests. The rest of the money had been expended on the two memorials.’

The memorial itself was unveiled in October 1921. The stone base, inscribed with the names of the fallen, was designed by Arthur Stratton FRIBA (OK 1888); it was surmounted by a bronze statue, by Charles Hartwell ARA, of a young man holding aloft a laurel wreath; the wreath motif is repeated in the base where it is accompanied by an inscription in Greek which translates to ‘Theirs is the prize of fair-garlanded death.’ The second memorial was a school library. Situated on the ground floor of South Hayes, it was the first time the library had been given a purpose-designed home. Again, Stratton was responsible for the scheme, traces of which can still be seen today in the gilded mouldings on the walls (the Memorial library moved to the former junior school dining hall in the late 1960s).

In 1949, following yet another devastating global conflict, a memorial plaque to those OKs who gave their lives during Second World War was unveiled in the Great Hall. It too was paid for through the generosity of alumni and parents. At the service of Remembrance, the Archbishop of Canterbury dedicated the memorial and prayers were said by the Bishop of Southwark. 147 names were listed on the plaque. (In fact, three of those listed had survived. Later, the names of two OKs who were killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan were added to the memorial.)

The school buildings had suffered more than in 1914-1918. With no endowment, King’s was not a rich school. The implementation of the 1944 Education Act had demanded a choice be made: the financial security of state governance or the freedom of independence. After consultation with parents, the governing body chose the latter.  It would have been easy to first and foremost use the money raised by this second memorial fund to develop the site. Yet, once again, what mattered most was to support the school community by providing scholarships to educate the sons of those who had served in the war:

‘All friends of the School desire a fitting memorial to those who died. Their spirit of adventure, duty and sacrifice calls for more than a monument of stone; it demands something not only enduring-but vital. What finer memorial than a fund to keep alive the spirit of the School and to ensure that sons of those who died or suffered in the war shall not be denied the privilege of an education at King's?

Keep the torches burning—

Duty, Light and Learning

These lines from the School Song sum up the purposes of this appeal. Let us, therefore, remember the dead by keeping alive the great traditions of King's which are a part of the Country for which they fought and died.’

The world wars can feel quite distant today, their significance something taught in a history lesson rather than felt. But the closing words of the editorial in the 1921 school magazine, written by pupils aged only 17, reminded me that it is still how we behave every day that makes a difference: ‘It is not only because they have died that we are proud, but because they have lived.’

Postscript

The original bronze statue was stolen from the First World One memorial in the 1960s. It was soon found in in a far corner of the playing fields. It was restored to its plinth but was stolen again within weeks. For decades, the memorial remained without a statue. At the 2003 Remembrance service, a copy was unveiled, which had been financed by the Old King's Club, the school, and from donations from alumni. That same year, an extension to the Memorial library was opened.

As ever, please do email if you have stories to share or questions about the school archive: I can be contacted at archive@kcs.org.uk. Or click here to complete a written questionnaire if you have memories you would like to submit to our Recollections of King’s project.

Dr Lucy Inglis | School Archivist