Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Interesting the reference to Montgomery's inspection in 1944.

When I was in the CCF it was he who carried out the General's Inspection one year. We were warned in advance that he had a habit of saying "Gather round, chaps" before a speech; our orders were to "misunderstand" and go to the "At Ease" position.

In the event he didn't use the phrase - perhaps somebody warned him.

My own memories of the war are limited - I was near Windsor and remember being taken out to watch a V1 cross the sky. Of course I didn't understand the import of such an occasion at the time.

Obviously before my time, but I remember the story of a marauding German fighter, (109 ?), flying the length of the avenue without firing a shot before moving to Horsham and straffing a girls school there.

It was beleived at the time that the pilot mistook the 'Housy' uniforms for some form of religious order, or a girls school.

You ain't lived until you have been "sleeping" in the bottom bunk of 3 when there is an epidemic of some disgusting stomach bug.

I don't remember taking my gas mask with me to CH so perhaps they thought by September 1944 the chances of needing it were pretty slim. See above for our precautions against doodlebugs.

sejintenej wrote:Interesting the reference to Montgomery's inspection in 1944.

When I was in the CCF it was he who carried out the General's Inspection one year. We were warned in advance that he had a habit of saying "Gather round, chaps" before a speech; our orders were to "misunderstand" and go to the "At Ease" position.

In the event he didn't use the phrase - perhaps somebody warned him.

My own memories of the war are limited - I was near Windsor and remember being taken out to watch a V1 cross the sky. Of course I didn't understand the import of such an occasion at the time.

David

- we obviously overlapped though you were (and are!) younger than I. I too remember Monty's inspection (and the day off!) in 1953. I am desperately trying to remember whether I was actually in the corps - and therefore inspected. We all had to join in the UF (unless a conscientious objector in which case you had to become one of the tiny band of scouts which scouted around on Thursday afternoons while everyone else was doing CCF stuff like stripping Bren guns or learning how to give firing orders - " 'edgerow, Eastburn - not 'edge!" ). I was fifteen at the time of the inspection, so I guess I must have been inspected.

By the way, i think the day off may have been added to that given by the Queen to celebrate her Coronation - we may even have had it all tacked on to the summer holiday; I really can't quite recall. I do however remember that it was not uncommon for various dignitaries to award half days. I remember particularly in the Prep being bussed down to Climping for the day - I think someone elsewhere may have remarked upon the scores of little boys cavorting naked in the surf. We thought nothing of it, but the locals may have been a little bemused, no doubt.

Of course, today, such a thing would be unthinkable - the entire Prep staff would be locked up forthwith. Come to think of it, Longmate writes in his book that in his view, most of the staff of that era should have been sent to prison anyway!



This picture is reproduced from the Blue in Barclay Hankin's book

DavebytheSea wrote:- we obviously overlapped though you were (and are!) younger than I. I too remember Monty's inspection (and the day off!) in 1953. I am desperately trying to remember whether I was actually in the corps - and therefore inspected. I was fifteen at the time of the inspection, so I guess I must have been inspected.

By the way, i think the day off may have been added to that given by the Queen to celebrate her Coronation - we may even have had it all tacked on to the summer holiday; I really can't quite recall. I do however remember that it was not uncommon for various dignitaries to award half days. I remember particularly in the Prep being bussed down to Climping for the day - I think someone elsewhere may have remarked upon the scores of little boys cavorting naked in the surf. We thought nothing of it, but the locals may have been a little bemused, no doubt.

He must have done the inspection twice then - I was in Prep A in 1953 but I was inspected by him several years later. I don't know anything about an extra day off in 1953 - just 3 days away for the coronation. (I still have my souvenir of that - an 1816 ** print of a CH boy).

** date from memory - I'm at the farm after getting up at 3 am - a bit tired. Skiing tomorrow I hope!

Prep boys going to Climping and cavorting in the surf; been there done that and got frozen a couple of times. They supplied white trunks for us for that occasion - they did get transparent when wet. AFAIR the locals kept well clear when we were there.

I well remember being introduced to Sir Barnes Wallis on one of his visits.

That also resulted in another half-holiday !