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"For they grow not old as we that are left grow old,The walls of Big School are covered with Honours Boards recording the achievements, mainly academic, of former pupils. When I attended the centenary celebrations in 1983 I noticed that some had become illegible. This both surprised and disappointed me: Aston isn't the sort of school to allow that to happen. (They have since been re-gilded.)
On the other side of that same wall are three 'Honours Boards' of a very different type. They won't fade: they are cast in bronze, and commemorate 194 former pupils killed in two terrible wars.
The central panel lists, in alphabetical order, those Old Boys who died in the Great War of 1914-19; on either side are panels bearing the names from the World War of 1939-45.
A historian would note two things: the smaller numbers in the latter conflict (mainly aircrew), reflecting the different type of war; and the proportionately greater numbers of the first war, when the school was much smaller.
Here is a transcript of the memorial, obtained from various sources:
| 1939 - 1945 | TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN HONOURED MEMORY OF THE OLD BOYS OF ASTON SCHOOL WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1919 | 1939 - 1945 | ||
| J Alder A C Allen R A Asbury E J Beard F C Benbow O P Beswick J B Billington K W Bishop W H Bott R D Bower C Broadfield D P Broome D Buckley E L Butt J H Carr A H Carver W L Croxton W Davies R Dean J H Eccleston H E C Elliott N J Evans L A Garvey S D Gingold D C Godfrey R C Hargrave W H Hill F J Holland K Hunt P L Janney W H Jenkins D J Jenkinson B Johnson F A Kilby B J Kimber H F Latham |
Frank Leslie Allday Charles Edward Allen Sidney Frank Allen Bertie Ames Thomas Harold Baker James Henry Bampton Frederick N Banwell Charles W Barrell Eric Bernard Beston Arthur P Blackmore Claude O Boswell Albert G Burt Frank Eliot Burt Howard V Cashmore Philip Herbert Child William Henry Child Leonard W Chillingsworth Albert E Clarke Arthur S Clutterbuck Norman E Clutterbuck Albert Congrave George James Conroy Harold J Couch Harold D Coulthard Frederick William Cox John Hickman Davies Ralph Howell Davies Trevor A M Davies Howard Davis Leonard William Dean Aldred C D Dingley Harry Percival Eyre Horace D Flowers Joseph Fortnum James Gerald Fussell William G Gething Alexander Gissing Kenneth Lloyd Gopsill Norman F Green Frederick C H Guest Edgar W Hadley |
Edward Victor Hampton William J Hardwidge Reginald A Harris Leonard E Hartland Robert Haselden Henry Douglas Herrick Harold Douglas Hill Frederick H Homer Douglas D Hughes Oscar C L Hughes Albert Howard Hunt Arthur N Hutchinson Conrade William Jacot John Richard Jenkins Alfred A Jenkinson Herbert F Jenkinson Hubert William Jones Lawrence Herbert Kay Frk. L Kemsey-Bourne Frederick H Kendrick Percy Ketteringham James Mole Kitchen Harold Lee Cyril Levick Eric W Ludlam Charles R McAndrew Donald McBean Duncan P McDonald John Albert McKee Eric Newton Marson* John Mason Edward Minahan Frank N Morton Percy John Morris Eric Arthur Mousley Leslie Vincent Munn Ernest Richard Naish Clarence Newell Charles Henry Payne Harold Leslie Pearce Frederick S Pickering |
Ivan Lapworth Pinson George Powell Henry Spencer Powell Herbert S Preston Leslie G Preston David Leonard Price Edwin Spencer Proctor Victor A Roberts Arthur G Robinson Oliver Rudd Arthur H Sadler George C Samuel Douglas L Sarjeant Herbert E Saunders Harry George Savage Archibald L Saville Reginald W Scott Frank Trevolla Secker Albert Thomas Shaw Herbert L Shillcock William H Silvester Eric Spears Harold V Stocker Sydney Henry Symonds Cyril James Tart Wm. Skinner Thain Philip W Thomas Donald Stuart Tomey Reginald John Twilton Victor N Walkley Arthur Edwin Ward Arthur John Wasdell Charles J Washbourne Thomas Sidney Wathes Norman Albert Wells Wilfrid H Wheeler Percy Alfred White William E Wilkins John Ristart Williams Frank Bernard Wilson Charles E Withey |
K S Latham C H Lea G A Lee W H Machin C Malins W H Mitchell F R Morris W L Munns J Murphy T Oldfield K G Parry C C Paterson J B Phillips R A Quinney F W Randall A J Rea J W Robinson R I Rogerson W J Seers G S Smith J E Smith R B Smith F R Tate L C Tatton N J Thomson A F Vaughan A E Ward J K Ward R G Warmington J Wiggall D E Williams A G M Wilson K A Wilson P S Wright P Share |
(For clarity the rank and regiment/unit which follows each name on the memorial has been omitted. No disrespect is thereby intended.)
At least three of these appear on another war memorial.
Every year, just before Armistice Day, two wreaths would appear at its base: presumably one from the Old Boys' Association and one from the School. They were placed there without ceremony, by whom I know not.
All too often as a small boy I would rush past this memorial, on my lawful occasions, without giving my gallant predecessors a second glance.
I think they would have wanted it that way.
* In November, 2004 'Toffee' Marson featured in a Channel 4 TV programme entitled 'Not Forgotten'. The school provided some of the research material, including this photograph circa 1911/12, which made it possible.
('Toffee' is a reference to a brand of sweets of the time.)
In October, 2006 Ian McDonnell (Aston 1959) sent me some old copies of the 'School Record'. On the last page of the March, 1927 issue is a poem by one 'J.M.'. This can only be the Headmaster of the time - Joe Manton:
| 'ON LOOKING AT THE SCHOOL WAR MEMORIAL' | |
These were our brothers, the same kindly mother |
Not less in brain than they, whose slow decision, |
That day when storm-clouds burst, and 'mid war's thunder, |
So, when succeeding rolls of boys shall muster, |
In November, 2006 it was my privilege to represent former pupils at the school's annual Remembrance Assembly, something we didn't hold in my time and which no-one present could recall being introduced.