EDITORIAL – Jane Collard (née Dunk 1969 -76)
Welcome to the (again) delayed Autumn 2023 edition of The Dorkinian. Firstly, an apology. It had been my full intention to revert to two Newsletters a year but time has passed so quickly and we are once again in Autumn – albeit a very warm and sunny first week of September! As an Association we are committed to keeping members informed and to this end I am grateful to Nick Ridley and John Wallis for agreeing to assist me in production of the Newsletter in the future. But ultimately we rely on contributions and feedback from you, our members, so do please continue to send in articles, however long or short, on items that you feel might be of interest. I hope that you will enjoy reading this edition.
We have every right to feel proud of the legacy of our school, and its current incarnation as The Ashcombe School. On recent visits to the school I have been struck by the happy atmosphere there, the dedication of the staff and the pride that pupils have in the school.
You can read a little more in the article about this year’s Bursary awards.
There continues to be debate over the future of the ADA and how we might best encourage new members. Our Chairman, Nick Ridley, has instigated a membership recruitment drive and I encourage you all to try to find at least one new member, old or young, from amongst your friends and family.
Thank you, as ever, for feedback on articles in the previous edition; I am particularly grateful to Joyce Day (Carter, 1942-1947) who responded to my suggestion that readers might like to submit their memories of our late Queen Elizabeth. Joyce has also given us her thoughts on the ADA and its future, as has Mike Dobson and several other members.
In this Newsletter you can read about our newest Committee members and the plans for the AGM. This edition contains news from the School, an update on the Bursary awards (happily re-introduced this year) and of course my indulgence in the progress of Dorking Wanderers FC. Nick Ridley has supplied a lovely article about a local beauty spot, ”Lonesome Lodge”
I do feel that this edition is a little heavy on the obituaries side, but the stories conveyed and the memories recalled are so interesting that they deserve to be included in full. In the previous Newsletter we reported the” breaking news” of the death of Sir Erich Reich (1946-1948). I have reproduced, with due acknowledgenent, the obituary that appeared in the Daily Telegraph. You mght recall an interesting article submitted in 2021, published in NL58, by Pauline Davies (Owen 1943-1951). Pauline died in January this year at the age of 89 and I have included a further article that she sent me recalling her memories of her school years. Her son Gordon also gave permission for us to publise the tribute that he gave at her funeral. We were also advised of the death of AVM Derek Saunders CBE (1944-1951) and I am pleased to reproduce the obituary supplied by his daughter Ailsa. Finally, I am grateful to David Hempstead for sending me memories of his father Norman Hempstead (1941-1948).
As ever, I do hope that this edition of the Newsletter finds you and your families safe and well, wherever you are reading this, and I send you all my good wishes. I look forward to hearing from you.
ADA COMMITTEE
In the previous Newsletter we reported that we were delighted to welcome two new members to the ADA Committee – John Bellamy (1956-64) and John Wallis (1972-78). Both have been persuaded to write a brief biography – which you can read below. As well as general Committee duties, John Bellamy has agreed to help Jane Collard with the Bursary Awards and John Wallis is helping us on the IT side, especially the Association’s website, overseeing the development and updating of the invaluable work done by Mike Nicholson-Florence over many years. Nick Ridley continues as Chairman – the advent of Zoom means that he can carry out this rôle from his home in Denmark, although we also meet two or three times a year in the UK. The Committee now holds meetings (via Zoom) every six weeks, to ensure that matters are progressed. Peter George continues his excellent work as Treasurer and Membership Secretary, for which the committee is grateful. Gerry Moss remains on the committee, as does David Mountain (again, thank you) – the experience of both is invaluable. We are also pleased to have Mike Dobson as an “honorary” member – providing additional help where required.
We are of course always looking for new members of the Committee so please let Nick Ridley know if you are interested. Even if you don’t want to join the Committee, if you have a skill in a particular area – or know someone who does – that you feel could be of use, then again please let us know.
Welcome to our new Committee Members!
John Bellamy (1956-1964)
As can be seen from the above dates, I spent a third year in the 6th Form as I wasn’t sure what to do for my future. I had been offered a place at Exeter to study chemistry but decided it was too far and too expensive to travel back to Dorking each weekend to play football for the Old Boys. It was during my extended stay at the school that it was suggested that I discover what a life in accountancy could offer. I contacted Ian Bayer from my year who had started in that world in the previous year, and he sparked my interest.
I joined the same firm of London accountants as Ian and generally enjoyed the work and travelling to their clients but not the lowly pay of an articled clerk. Although I spent seven years there and was well versed in the discipline, my Achilles Heel is that I’m hopeless at examinations and failed to qualify.
I left the firm as I had promised to marry a Swedish girl and needed to earn a much better salary to sustain a reasonable standard of living. I have worked for many and varied companies and have served as honorary treasurer or auditor for various amateur sports clubs.
My football playing days for the Old Boys finished when I reached 57 but I had the game of squash to fall back on. I have cycled for most of my life and now am a life member of and for some years have been a group cycle leader for the SW London division of Cycling UK.
Nick Ridley, the ADA chairman, approached me to join the committee at the end of 2022 in order to bring in some younger blood, even though I am 78 now. I told him that I have always felt grateful that I had had an education at Dorking CGS which has stood me in good stead throughout my life and if I could help to further the aims of the committee, I would be willing to try – as long as I don’t have to take any exams!
John Wallis (1972 – 1978)
I joined the ADA committee at the end of 2022 having been introduced to our new chairman, Nick Ridley by Nick Goddard, a fellow pupil from my year group.
I had vaguely been aware of some kind of ex-school association but never actively sought it out, let alone join. As such the ADA has found me.
What to say? Where do I start? How much do I tell? I’ll keep it brief and hopefully be able to expand further if and when we might meet.
I joined the then Dorking County Grammar School in September 1972 just after my 12th birthday, making little me one of the oldest in our year. Myself and several others would travel by train from the east to Dorking Deepdene. I came from Reigate with many others from Redhill, Merstham or Horley.
I am still in contact with at least 20 ex-pupils and a few teachers from those days and pre-pandemic days we were having regular gatherings of various sizes. I am also still a Vets Playing Member at Dorkinians FC, formerly Old Dorkinians, in Pixham Lane. So my links back to the school have been maintained since leaving halfway through the Lower 6th, year 12 in ”new money”
I’ve had a varied working life, starting in Westcott at NEL, now UNUM, for two years and studying for a Business Studies ONC at the same time. I then went to London at the age of 19 and stayed there off and on for 35 years. For the majority of my time in the smoke I worked in a variety of computing/IT jobs for various companies both large and small. Amongst those were BT, EDS/HP and the last and longest being Universal Music International. I lived mostly in South West London, Wandsworth and Merton but also had stints in Bloomsbury , Highbury and West Kensington.
Myself, my partner and son moved from Wimbledon to Bookham in 2004 and I commuted back into central London until 2011. Since then I’ve been following a few personal development projects and taken on a variety of casual part-time employment roles. I now describe myself as 70% retired and occupy my time with various voluntary football-related activities, riding my motorcycle or recreational driving. I’ve recently started as a casual driver for the Mole Valley District Council Community Transport service which gets me out of the house.
I’m hopeful that the Association can be reinvigorated and attract a new generation of members. In these ever polarised days I feel that we need to develop a range of events and facilities to reconnect ex-pupils to the school and each other. In other words, an environment to build a framework to share memories and offer support to each other and to the current school population.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
This year’s AGM will be held on Saturday 7th October at the School. We are delighted on this occasion to have a guest speaker, Karen Hewitt MBE (McLeod 1952-59). Karen attended the school in the 1950s and is now an Oxford lecturer and scholar in the field of English and Russian literature. She was appointed MBE in 2014 for services to building academic and cultural understanding between the UK and Russia. In Russia she has published books about Britain, and in Britain articles about life in Russia. If any of you still have access to the Spring 2011 Newsletter, Karen contributed an article entitled ”Russia under Western Eyes”. We look forward to what I am sure will be an interesting talk, and there will also be an opportunity for questions.
It would be good to have a high turnout “in person” but as in recent years, a “Zoom” link will also be set up, enabling more members to join the meeting. We hope to improve the use of technology this year, to allow greater participation (audio and visual). We will also welcome Chris Panting, Headteacher, to address the meeting.
The minutes of the 2022 AGM were issued along with Newsletter 59.
FOLLOW-UP to Newsletter 59
As always, I am grateful to all who have written to acknowledge their enjoyment of The Dorkinian and to those who have commented on items included in the newsletter. Following publication of the Autumn 2022 Newsletter I received the following:
In response to my suggestion that readers might like to share their memories of our Late Queen Elizabeth II, Joyce Day (nee Carter, 1942-1947) sent in this.
I attended the City of Bath Training College (now known as Bath Spa University) after leaving Dorking County Grammar School. I was there from 1948-50. During my first year, both residences and lecture rooms were scattered over the city. However, the Duchy of Cornwall Estate had provided land and some buildings for the creation of the College and this was ready to be opened officially by 1949. The Princess Elizabeth, as she then was, came to tour the Estate and to open the College in 1950.
Our Craft specialists made a wonderful Ark with many pairs of animals from various old containers, off-cuts and so on, the use of new materials still being discouraged after the war. This was presented to Her Highness for Prince Charles, then 2 years old. I was the Narrator, reading the poem as the story of The Pied Piper of Hamelin was depicted by puppets. In each Lecture Room were stewards and my friend Brenda was a steward in one such room. Brenda was petite and was sitting on a tall stool, having wound her foot over the bar. She was chatting to someone when she realised that the Princess was waiting to speak to her. She got her foot caught in the bar as she stood up and fell on the floor. The Princess waited patiently as Brenda stood up and then spoke to her. At the lunch break, Brenda was really upset and felt such a fool. However, as the Princess and the party of dignitaries were leaving, they passed the door of the room and Brenda was thrilled that Her Royal Highness poked her head round the door and winked at her. Such a touch for understanding people and their feelings!
I also attended a Royal Garden Party at the time when the relationship between Princess Diana and Prince Charles was breaking up. There was a full turnout of the Royal Family that year and the Queen, the Queen Mother, Prince Charles, Princess Diana and Princess Anne were all in attendance. It was an attempt to display that everything was as normal, but the Prince and Princess were sharing a set of guests and plainly all was not well between them.
The last Newsletter included an item on the future of the Association, including some statistical analysis from John Hayns. As hoped, several members responded and some comments are reproduced below. Please continue to let us have your thoughts on the ADA and how it might grow. Our Chairman, Nick Ridley, has instigated a membership recruitment drive and I encourage you all to try to find at least one new member, old or young, from amongst your friends and family.
Joyce Day (nee Carter, 1942-1947) Every time I read “The Dorkinian” I am surprised how many members still flourishing are from my era, compared with the total number. We must be a very tough lot! However, this may be the root of the problems soon to come. I started in Form 1Va in 1942 and left at Christmas 1947. Sadly, we must surely fade from the scene soon and this is likely to be a problem for the continuance of ADA.
I lived in Ashtead, so consequently was not around to participate in Dorking’s night-life, such as it was in wartime and soon after. I have only met very few Old Dorkinians since leaving the school. I did once have the pleasure of Jacqui Wild joining me on the staff at Fetcham Middle School for a while and we enjoyed our Badminton after school. I also went to Australia on a journey round the world and stayed with Hebe and Derry. The only one with whom I am now in direct contact is Marilyn James (Gronow) and we have not actually met for many years. I am afraid computers and their “off spring” have sabotaged real social life and many people have got so used to staying at home because of COVID that they are reluctant to emerge again. Maybe we need to “go with the flow” and bring more technology into our association, though I would regret it myself. After all, anyone leaving school in the last 45 years would just consider it as a normal part of life.
I thank very much all those people who set up the ADA and “The Dorkinian” and kept them going for all these years; I have enjoyed reading the exploits of people of my era and since. Keeping it all going for so long is a huge achievement in itself. With best wishes to everyone concerned.
Mike Dobson (1942-1950) It seems to me that the School Event on 9 July 2022 might have marked the last time that some of us will have the privilege of passing through those hallowed portals and indeed, might be close to or mark the termination/collapse of the Ashcombe Dorkinian Association, which has successfully kept ex-Dorkinians in touch over the past thirty years.
However, is there not a future which would embrace the wonders of the internet by forming an Old Dorkinian “group” either on Facebook or WhatsApp [probably the latter], thus giving all ex-pupils/staff a [secure] communication network, allowing them the option to join and the option to post relevant information as appropriate, without it being through the background of committees, treasurers, secretaries etc?
Personally, I do not have the skill or indeed, the will, to organise such an arrangement but I suspect and hope that there is someone somewhere out there who has both! While I can’t think that I am the only one to have considered such an idea, I float it to make sure it doesn’t fall through the cracks!
A number of other members, including Ashton Emery, expressed some concern that the Association has perhaps run its course, as 30 years on from the ADA’s inception the original membership is ageing. This can only be rectified by recruitment of new and younger members. The Committee is pursuing this, and positive signs were summarised by Nick Ridley:
- we have a younger and more active committee
- four new members have joined in the last quarter
- we have a good and regular contact with Chris Panting (Head Teacher) and Ben Blackband (Head of Sixth Form) to develop the relationship with the school
- The Bursary Awards have resumed and we intend to contact previous award winners to see how they developed their lives.
- Jane de la Rosa, responsible for Communications at the school, will help us with developing social media and the website together with committee member John Wallis.
- a full strategy has been developed during 2023 by the Committee; the Committee now meets either in person or by Zoom approximately every six weeks
- the accounts are well-managed and we shall give a donation to the Dorking museum in the near future
- It is our goal to maintain a positive account by recruiting new members.
NEWS FROM THE SCHOOL Jane Collard
Courtesy of the School website. I urge you to check the website regularly to hear news of the School https://www.ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk
Strong Exam Results
Ashcombe students have attained excellent results in 2023 in A-Levels and GCSEs. The A-Level pass rate was 97%, with 55% of students gaining grades A*, A or B. The results are particularly positive as this cohort was most affected by the pandemic and these are their first externally marked exams. Headteacher Chris Panting said: “We are exceptionally proud of all the students. They have tackled the challenges of the past few years with resilience, diligence, and great maturity. They have been a pleasure to work with and we are confident that they will go on and achieve great things in the future. I would also like to thank every member of staff for their unwavering support of the students”.
GCSE results were similarly positive with 80% of students achieving at least 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (the current grading system runs from 9 down to 1, Grade 9 being the highest awarded), and over 80% achieving grades of at least 4 in Maths and English Language. Headteacher Chris Panting said:” We are delighted for our students who have gained some wonderful GCSE results today. They have been a delightful group of students who should be very proud of their achievements “.
National Schools Awards Recognition
Last December the school was recognised at the prestigious National Schools Awards evening reception held at the House of Lords. Staff at the school had been shortlisted for two awards: School Business Leader of the Year and Estates Management of the Year. Georgina Stone was announced as the very deserved winner of the Estates category.
The judging panel were particularly impressed by the impact felt in every corner of school of Georgina’s tenacious and imaginative work in her constant drive to improve the physical environment of the school. Balancing supporting the Site Team, supervising contractors and being consistently successful submitting funding bids and delivering projects, she has also researched and commissioned vibrant wall art in locations throughout the school and goes above and beyond in creative improvements to the fabric of the buildings, contributing to an engaging learning environment and making the school a better place for students and staff.
The School has been undertaking a significant programme of modernisation and improvement to classrooms, dining areas, toilets, and sports facilities which has continued throughout this academic year.
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Football success
On 23rd May, The Ashcombe School in Dorking proudly watched their Year 9 Boys’ football team step onto the pitch at The Hawthorns Stadium in Birmingham – home to West Bromwich Albion – to battle it out for the winner’s trophy in the final of the English Schools’ Football Association Under 14s Schools’ Cup. In their 10th and final match, the team took on Halewood Academy from Liverpool and won 2-1. This was their first time in the final, the team’s journey in the competition having started back in October 2022, when they won their first game by a convincing margin of 10-2. Nine impressively high scoring games later, it was a proud moment for the team and the school.
Coach James Harris was delighted by the team’s success and also paid tribute to the great play by Halewood, making it a very competitive match. There were also thanks to Dorking Wanderers for the use of their facilities and Dorkinians Football Club for the use of their Westhumble ground – great community involvement to get the students to this victory.
Overseas trips
One look at the School’s website tells us that students have the opportunity to join many trips overseas as part of their education (Editor’s note: the best I managed was a Biology Field Trip to Hope Cove in Devon!). This year has seen trips to Iceland, the First World War battlefields of Ypres and Arras, as well as Paris and Berlin.
Careers Fair
The Careers Fair was held in February after a three-year gap due to Covid restrictions. It was the biggest event yet, with over 140 exhibitors. Over 600 students, parents and staff from the school attended, as well as from other local schools.
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School lectern – Any recollections?
Former Head Teacher David Blow contacted us wondering whether any of our members had any memories or knowledge of the history of the wooden lectern (photo below) which has been in the school for many years – probably originating in the Dorking Grammar School days. It is still in use, and the school is curious as to its history. If anyone has any information please let me know and I will pass it on!
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ADA BURSARY Jane Collard
The Committee is very pleased to report that this year we have been able to resume the Bursary awards. No Bursary has been awarded since 2019, a casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic. John Bellamy and I have been liaising with the school over the past few months and it was agreed that the School should put forward candidates for the award, following discussion between form tutors, the Head of Sixth Form (Ben Blackband) and the Head Teacher (Chris Panting). Candidates did not necessarily have to be the best academically, nor those appointed Head Boy and Head Girl. Rather, it was felt that the award should be made to individuals who, amongst other attributes, had demonstrated all-round ability, who had offered something back to the school through helping others, or who had shown real effort and commitment to succeeding.
At the end of June, John and I visited the school to interview four very worthy candidiates. To say that we were impressed is an understatement!! The four students are a credit to the school and their pride at having attended Ashcombe really shone through. The amount of support and nurture offered to students by the staff is incredible and the atmosphere at the school sounds to be a happy one.
It was a difficult decision – all 4 candidates were worthy of an award, and each of them impressed for different reasons. We finally decided on two recipients (£500 each). Fortunately John and I were in complete agreement! The two recipients are Chloe Pearce and Alfie Foster.
Alfie had clearly demonstrated the ability to turn himself around, growing in confidence and applying himself (after relatively disappointing GCSEs) to achieving good results in the 6th form and, hopefully, in his A-levels. He intends to study Accountancy & Finance at Leeds University from 2024, and plans to spend a few months travelling in Australia before then. He will be the first member of his family to attend university. He has shown a strong work ethic and currently works at Denbies Wine Estate in the events/restaurant area in order to save for his travels and further education.
Chloe’s achievements were impressive. Clearly very bright academically, she is very active in extra-curricular activities, as well as external pursuits (including meeting senior politicians at the House of Commons to discuss environmental issues etc). She is an avid reader, both contemporary fiction but also the classics (her favourite novel being Pride & Prejudice). She is writing a novel now, and self-published a novel when she was just 11 years old! Chloe plans to go to King’s College London in September to study History and International Politics.
Special mention must also be made of the other two candidates, Abie Tait and Thomas Britt. Both were strong candidates and it made our decision very difficult.
The school is very much of the view that being nominated for, or being awarded, an ADA bursary is worthy of recognition in itself, aside from the monetary amount. We have decided that certificates should be granted to “Bursary Award Winner” and “Bursary Award Nominee”, as a mark of recognition.
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I hope to include a further report in the next Newsletter, once we have met the students again and handed over the awards. We will liaise with the school to encourage winners of the bursary awards to provide an update on how their life after leaving the school is progressing.
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REMEMBRANCE DAY WREATH-LAYING Jane Collard
The annual laying of the ADA Wreath on the Memorial Gates took place on 11 November 2022. David Mountain, John Wallis and Jane Collard attended on behalf of the ADA, with the three ADA representatives joining Head Teacher Chris Panting in placing the wreath. We were pleased to be joined for the short ceremony by a number of sixth form students and were again treated to the playing of the Last Post by one of the pupils.
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Picture: ADA Committee Members John Wallis, Jane Collard and David Mountain,
with the “Silent Tommy” statue
This year’s ceremony will be held on Friday 10 November 2023 and ADA members are very welcome to attend (please let one of the Committee know if you plan to attend). A report on this year’s ceremony will be included in the next edition of the Newsletter.
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VISIT TO LONESOME LODGE Nick Ridley (1952-1959)
Editor’s note: I am grateful to Nick Ridley for this item about a visit last autumn to a little-known location near Dorking. Despite having lived here for nearly 60 years, I was unaware of its existence! The name Lonesome Lodge may sound like something out of an American western but is in fact located near Dorking in the Tillingbourne valley. On September 10th last year the Dorking Museum arranged a visit to the Tillingbourne Valley. Another Old Dorkinian, Chris Heaps, and his wife Ann joined me and my wife and 25 other hikers to find the origins of Lonesome lodge. The walk was led by Robin Daley author of the book “Lonesome Lodge: A lost Palladian villa” First we drove to the Broadmoor Car Park on Sheephouse Lane a turning off the A25 in Wotton, and left our cars a mile up the road. Here we were not far from Friday Street. Robin Daley described the route we would take, which was mainly footpaths in the Tillingbourne valley. Every 20 minutes or so we would stop and he would tell us about the local landscape. In all the trip took us two and a half hours The Lodge was built by a wealthy London merchant and gentleman architect, Theodore Jacobsen. Lonesome Lodge was the creation of a Palladian dream in a secluded valley complete with extensive parkland and creative water features Its glory was to be relatively short-lived for such an investment of resources and by the middle of the 18th century it had been taken down. But important facets of the landscaping have survived to this day, still drawing visitors to this delightful and tranquil setting. Picture: Lonesome Lodge, courtesy of Dorking Museum
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Not only did we visit the site of the lodge but we were given special access to the privately owned features – the fountain, bridges, chain ponds, ice house and the Tillingbourne waterfall which is Surrey’s highest. We visited Brookwind Pond, built as the header pond for the waterfall, and the enigmatic Broadmoor Tower, the tragic final addition to the estate by the final owner, a rogue reverend with a history of womanising, exploitation and bullying. Robin Daley led us on the tour and described in detail the many features of the estate, filling out the historic detail not only of the property but also of the fascinating and colourful lives of its owners and occupants. If you wish to go on this walk I would recommend his book referred to earlier. At the end of the walk we stopped for some delicious cake and tea with one of the families living on the estate. The photograph shows Chris Heaps and myself enjoying the refreshments. The visit to the Lonesome Lodge was organised by the Dorking Museum who arrange similar tours in the Dorking area as well as providing an excellent history of Dorking town.
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DORKING WANDERERS FC – a brief update
This Newsletter would not, of course, be complete without a mention of my local football team, Dorking Wanderers FC (with apologies to those supporting teams from other local towns!). As reported in the previous edition, Dorking Wanderers won promotion to the National League, the fifth tier of English football, at the end of May 2022. Life in the higher league proved challenging and found the team travelling much further distances for away games (in previous leagues, matches were generally confined to the South of England). Many matches were against teams that had once graced the upper echelons of English football. Despite a dip in form early in 2023, Dorking finally secured survival in the League in mid-April, and went on to finish a respectable 16th out of 24 teams. The new season started in August and so far results have been mixed, but it’s early days!
The Club has also featured in the financial pages of several newspapers as a result of its “Rise with Us” campaign which is inviting fans to become shareholders in the Club. This initiative is designed to raise funds for investment in facilities. These investments include the development of academy and community playing facilities, plus food and beverage services and hospitality upgrades that will generate commercial revenue opportunities and improve matchday and community experiences.
Further success came for the Under 16 side, who won the Surrey FA U16 Youth County Cup in April. Finally, and with Women’s Football so much in the news, and enjoying enormous popularity now, I am very happy to report that Dorking Wanderers Ladies won the 2022/23 Capital Cup for the second consecutive season in April, beating Brentford Women’s FC 3-0.
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OBITUARIES and LIVING MEMORIES Jane Collard
SIR ERICH REICH (1946-48)
As we went to press on Newsletter 59, we received the sad news that Sir Erich Reich had died on 2 November 2022. That Newsletter carried a report on the the planting of an oak tree by Sir Erich in the grounds of the school. The ceremony was part of a nationwide campaign to mark the 80th anniversary of the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR). The tree, which was planted in a corner of the playing field, adjacent to Ashcombe Road, also forms part of The Queen’s Green Canopy – a tree planting initiative to mark Her Late Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
With acknowledgement to the Daily Telegraph, I reproduce below the obituary published on 4th November 2022. Despite the fondness he showed to the school in several ways, including being Guest of Honour at an ADA AGM and planting the special tree, there is, sadly, no mention of Sir Erich’s time at Dorking Grammar School!
From The Daily Telegraph
Sir Erich Reich, who has died aged 87, came to Britain as a four-year-old refugee on the Kindertransport, the rescue mission which saw 10,000 Jewish children rescued from Nazi Germany and the occupied countries of Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland. He went on to forge a successful career in the travel industry before establishing his own company, Classic Tours, which organises fundraising challenges overseas and has raised millions for charity.
In 2008, as chairman of the Kindertransport group within the Association for Jewish Refugees, Reich organised celebrations of the 70th anniversary of Parliament’s decision to allow him and other Jewish youngsters into Britain, and in more recent years was prominent in campaigns to persuade politicians to show more compassion to refugees fleeing persecution abroad.
“The echoes of the past haunt many of my fellow Kinder and me whose fate similarly rested with members of the British parliament,” he explained in 2016. “I feel it is incumbent on us to once again demonstrate our compassion and human kindness to provide sanctuary to those in need.”
Erich Arieh Reich was born in Vienna on April 30 1935, the third son of Schapse Reich, a tradesman, and his wife Mina. In the autumn of 1938, three-year-old Erich and his family became caught up in the mass Nazi deportation of 5,000 Jewish families of Polish origin to Poland.They travelled by train to Zbąszyń railway station, then just inside the Polish border, but the Poles refused to let them in. As the Germans would not allow them to return, for the next few months they were stuck in no-man’s land.
After Kristallnacht, November 9 1938, when the British parliament voted to allow visas for 10,000 Jewish children, Erich and his older brothers, Jacques and Ossie, left their parents behind and made their way to the Baltic port of Gdynia, where Erich and Ossie had to wait another eight months before finding berths in the merchant ship Warsawa, Jacques having been given a berth four weeks earlier.
As he recalled in a 2009 interview with the Evening Standard, Erich would later learn – from fellow passengers at Kindertransport reunions – that he had spent much of the five-day journey suffering from diarrhoea and running around shouting: “Ossie! Papier!”
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The two brothers arrived at the Port of London on August 29 1939, a few days before Britain declared war on Germany. Jacques had been sent to a hostel in Crystal Palace; Ossie was dispatched to the Jewish Free School (then in east London), allocated a Jewish family and later evacuated to Ely. Four-year-old Erich seems to have been sent to live in a hostel with other refugee children before being taken in by Joseph and Emily Kreibich, Christian refugees who had fled Hitler from Czechoslovakia and were living in a bedsit in Dorking.
Within nine months, Jacques had tracked down Ossie and joined him in Ely, but it would be six years before he found Erich – who vividly recalled the day in 1945.
“I was playing on my wooden scooter in the road when this young man comes along and asks me, ‘Could you tell me where Mr and Mrs Kreibich live?’ ” Erich Reich told the Evening Standard. “So I pointed it out and went on playing, and 10 minutes later they called me and said, ‘This is your brother, Jacques.’ I looked at him. To me he was a total stranger. He was about 17. I had no memory of him whatsoever.”
Indeed, the traumas he had suffered seem to have erased Reich’s memories of his early years completely. Until 1945, despite having a different surname, he had believed himself to be the son of the Kreibiches and had no recollection of his real family. So it came as a complete shock when Jacques told him that he was Jewish, that his real parents had died at Auschwitz and that he had two brothers. Within a week, Erich was having lessons in Hebrew and was soon meeting other members of his real family – his brother Ossie, an uncle who lived in London, and an Aunt Muki, who had found refuge in British Mandate Palestine.
After moving to a Jewish school in London and having his bar mitzvah, in 1949 young Erich went to live with Aunt Muki in the newly formed state of Israel, where he remained for 18 years, serving in the second Arab-Israeli War of 1956 as a communications officer under Ariel Sharon.
In 1967 Reich returned to London and took a job with the travel company Thomson, rising through the ranks to become operations director. In 1970 he joined rivals Thomas Cook, where by 1979 he was managing director of tour operations. In 1987 he established Classic Tours, based in Holloway, north London, and in 1992 he pioneered the concept of “charity challenge”, organising a charity bike ride from Dan in the north of Israel to Beersheba in the south, and raising £600,000 for the Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society and Ravenswood, a Jewish home for the disabled.
The sum raised and the enthusiasm generated resulted in the company being approached by other charities to undertake similar events. Since 1992, courtesy of Classic Tours, numerous fundraisers have climbed Kilimanjaro, hiked the Inca Trail in Peru, and biked or ridden horses in far-flung parts of the world. By 2014 Reich’s company is estimated to have helped raise £85 million for hundreds of charities. In 2010 Reich was knighted for his charitable work.
Reich was prominent in the campaign led by Lord Dubs, a fellow Kindertransport survivor, to persuade the Coalition Government to amend the 2016 Immigration Bill to allow the entry into Britain of 3,000 unaccompanied children from Syria, ministers having previously argued that offering sanctuary to lone children could result in more of them falling into the hands of traffickers. Originally rejected by the House of Commons, the Dubs amendment was accepted by the government following a second debate and a vote in favour by the Lords.
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In 2019 Reich was one of several prominent Kindertransport survivors to donate their €2,500 restitution money paid by the German government to organisations helping children fleeing war and conflict. In 2021, following the drowning of 27 migrants in the Channel, he urged the government to reopen safe routes for refugees in Europe, especially children, trying to reach the UK, declaring that the government’s policies on immigration were “a great source of anguish for me”.
In 2006 Reich was proud to be the smallest boy depicted in The Arrival, the Kindertransport bronze memorial sculpture by Frank Meisler installed at Liverpool Street Station. Yet it – and the photograph he had of his parents and himself, aged three, dressed in Austrian lederhosen – never stirred any memories.
Reich next to Frank Meisler’s Kindertransport sculpture (the smallest figure modelled on the young Erich), during a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the first Kindertransport in Hope Square, ‘dedicated to the Children of the Kindertransport who found hope and safety in Britain through the gateway of Liverpool Street Station’ (in the words of the plaque placed there by the Association of Jewish Refugees) CREDIT: A Images / Alamy
Sometimes he counted himself lucky not to be burdened with the haunting memories that beset other Kindertransport survivors, but he admitted that the events of his childhood had probably been behind a “need for close companionship” that had led to the breakdown of three marriages.
He is survived by his fourth wife, Linda, née Haase, and by five children from his previous marriages.
Sir Erich Reich, born April 30 1935, died November 2 2022
© The Daily Telegraph
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PAULINE DAVIES (née Owen, 1943-51)
Newsletter 58 (Autumn 2021) included an article “Wartime Memories”, submitted by Pauline Davies. It made for very interesting reading . At the same time, Pauline also sent me an item about her school days and her life afterwards – space meant that this article was carried over. Sadly, in February this year we received the sad news of Pauline’s death. We were pleased to be able to assist her son, Gordon, by sending him copies of his mother’s memories, enabling him to use much of the information in his eulogy at her funeral. The funeral was attended by David Mountain. I am including an extract from Pauline’s article, followed by an edited version of the tribute given by her son at her funeral.
My School Days at Dorking
In 1943 I took the Entrance Exam for Dorking County School and started there in the September. I used to go there by train and met Ann Oakey who lived nearby. We travelled together in the “Ladies Only” compartment on the train.
My first year at Dorking was in Form 2c. Miss Burton, who taught Maths, was our form mistress and gave us much help and support as we had to get used to a larger school. The war was continuing but by 1944 we were now used to all the restrictions. At last the Allied Forces were making progress against Germans and Italians. My next form was 3c with the same classmates. We must have started Latin as I have a school prize for that subject. I then moved to Form 4a. Mrs Livingstone was our form mistress and remained so for the next two years. I remember Miss Macaulay for History, Miss Rowland for Biology and Trefor Jones the Head Master for Latin. He was often late for lessons but we could hear his approaching footsteps.
Next year I went to Lower Fifth and the following to Upper Fifth, as the classes were called then. Other pupils in that class included David Mountain, John Campbell, Rosemary Blake, Sheila Bowers, Val Shepherd, Gillian Pelling and Norma Youdale. Mrs Livingstone married Mr Davies, who was a history teacher. Some masters, including Mr Bradshaw and Mr Hayter, returned to the School from their military service. When in Upper Fifth we took the School Certificate exams and needed to pass in at least six subjects. Five credits gave you your “Matric”. I was a sub-prefect in that year, which was unusual for fifth form girls, but was done as there were few girls in the sixth form. Sheila Bowers and Gillian Pelling were also made sub-prefects. Studies then were different as one specialized in three or four subjects and we were in small groups. My subjects were History, French, Latin and English for the Higher School Certificate exam after two years. German was not popular at that time! Most pupils left school then, but I stayed for a third year in the sixth form and tried for Oxford or Cambridge. At that time male and female colleges were separate – 2 at Cambridge and 5 at Oxford. I was not successful, but a colleague, Rosemary Blake, did succeed. The Headmaster had always advised me to go to a London college as I was intending to study Law. In the sixth form I was appointed Head Girl. I always enjoyed games and played in the School team for hockey (getting colours), netball, tennis and rounders – not so good at athletics! Saturdays in the summer were often busy with school matches in the morning, and helping with tea in the afternoons when there was cricket.
I also owe a lot to Doc Morgan, the music teacher, who organized many music activities. I had had piano lessons previously at home with Miss Bench.
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One item of interest when I was at school was about the Stepping Stones across the River Mole at the foot of Box Hill which had become very worn. James Chuter Ede, who lived in the area and was Home Secretary in the Labour Government then arranged that new stones should replace the old ones. Chuter Ede invited Clement Attlee, then Prime Minister, to dedicate the new stones. He came with his wife and they were photographed standing on the new ones. I remember the occasion as I was there to present a bouquet to Mrs Attlee.
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A Tribute to Pauline Davies (Eulogy given by her son, Gordon)
Pauline was born in Beckenham in 1933 to Welsh parents Francis and Evan Owen. They soon moved to 1 Broadhurst in Ashtead in 1936, one of the closest houses to the rail station. Evan worked as an examiner at the Patent Office in London.
During the war Pauline remembered having to hide under the stairs when the air-raid siren went off. In fact, her much loved younger brother Mike was born in 1940 during an air-raid. At this time there was a shortage of coal so the family had to go nearby Ashtead Common to gather wood to burn. They also picked blackberries for tarts and jam. Pauline went to Bowood Junior School and then to Dorking County School. Pauline travelled to school with her friend Ann Oakey. They sat in the “Ladies Only” compartment on the train. Pauline was an all–rounder, being good at academic studies and sport, playing in school teams. She was made head girl at her Grammar school.
Those of you who know the stepping stones in Dorking will be interested to know that in 1946 The Prime Minister, Clement Atlee and his wife opened the restored stepping stones and that Pauline was given the honour of presenting a bouquet to Mrs Attlee.
In 1943, Pauline’s father Evan, now a scientist, was sent to Washington DC, America. He was there for the rest of the war. Pauline recalled that her father sent food parcels when he could and they would greatly look forward to receiving them. At the end of the war Evan returned to the UK. However, Evan’s time at home was short lived as he was then sent to Berlin, to work for the Control Commission which took over the role of ‘Local Government’, helping to rebuild Germany after the war. This must have been a difficult childhood, only seeing her father briefly during visits and holidays from the age of 10. In 1948 Pauline, her mother and brother travelled to Berlin to see Evan. During this time they visited the Russian controlled zone. When Evan later worked in Koblenz, the family enjoyed going on holiday to see him.
Having done well at school, Pauline went to read law at University College London. It was there that she met her lifelong friend Diana. Whilst she joined Middle Temple in 1954 and passed the final bar examination in 1957, she did not go on to practise law. Instead, after her degree, her first job was at Shell Petroleum in the Company Secretary’s department in the City. She met Sylvia there who became a lifelong friend and godmother to Gordon. She was proud to have done so well in her degree and subsequent jobs in a male dominated environment.
In 1959 she met John, who was doing research at the British Non-Ferrous Company. As Pauline and John were members of the Inter-Varsity Club they became good friends. John came from Cornwall and Pauline went to meet his parents in Redruth. They got engaged and were married on a rather wet day in October 1960 in Ashtead Parish Church.
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Following a move to Maidenhead as a result of John’s work, Pauline gave up full time work and lectured part-time at Slough College on General Principles of Law. Sons Gordon and Richard were born in 1964 and 1967 respectively
In 1969 John changed career, becoming an investment analyst with a stockbrokers based in London. So the family moved to commuter belt in Higher Green, Ewell. During this time Pauline taught law part-time at Carshalton College and Ewell Technical College
In the 1970s, John and Pauline hosted a number of overseas visitors for Christmas. One year, they were paired with Farrokh, aged 6, and his father and it was a great success. Farrokh continued his education in England at boarding school while his Father returned to Iran. Pauline used to go and see Farrokh perform in School plays. Farrokh was always very proud to introduce Pauline to his friends as his guardian. In time, John became Farrokh’s unofficial guardian and Farrokh is now part of the family. Farrokh continued his education at Epsom College along with Gordon & Richard. He later lived with John and Pauline when studying at Kingston University. Pauline always enjoyed talking to Farrokh as he has such a sunny disposition.
In 1981 the family moved again to a larger house in Tadworth. Pauline took the decision to leave teaching and took on a number of voluntary roles. She worked for the Citizen Advice Bureau in Sutton for many years. Pauline enjoyed this role as she attended courses to help her support others and her law degree was also helpful when assisting clients. She volunteered at Tadworth Court Children’s Trust where she would help feed children their meals and also helped with administration. When The Friends of Tadworth Court was established to fundraise for things such as a swimming pool, Pauline became secretary and carried out this voluntary role for a number of years. Whilst carrying out this role Pauline was voted Volunteer of The Year at Tadworth Court.
Sadly, Richard – who went to Oxford University – was having mental health issues and had been seeing a counsellor. Whilst at home after completing his second year at University, Richard committed suicide. Family and friends were shocked as they felt that there were no obvious signs of his mental health struggle. After Richard’s death, Pauline and John established The Richard Davies Charitable Trust which is focused on supporting Charities involved in the mental wellbeing of young people.
Pauline continued her volunteering work after Richard’s death and often said that it helped with her grieving. She volunteered for Age UK where she visited elderly people in their homes and also helped adults learn to read. She often talked about the enjoyment of seeing people make progress. She was a volunteer with Epsom Probation Service for over 10 years, which involved visiting prisoners in Highdown Prison, Banstead. She was involved with prisoners near the time of their release and helped them apply for housing and support them applying for work.
Pauline got to know many people in around Tadworth, through the church, the various charities, and delivering the local parish magazine. Every year John and Pauline would host a Christmas party for local friends and neighbours.. Just as John retired in 1990, Pauline enrolled in a degree course on Social Sciences at the Open University which would take 6 years. The Degree ceremony was at Ely Cathedral.
Pauline & John drew much pleasure from their grandson, Michael, and Pauline continued to enjoy a close relationship with her brother, Mike and his family. Mike had moved to Barbados in the early 60s and eventually settled there. He passed away in 2011.
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John began to suffer from dementia and became more and more reliant on Pauline for care. They had a live-in carer for a year, until it was clear that John had to go to a nursing home. Pauline visited John daily up until his death in December 2014. Pauline sold the family home and moved to a smaller property in Avenue Court, Tadworth. She was really happy there and made friends as all of the residents were friendly. Its closeness to The Church of The Good Shepherd was also important to her and she frequently attended church and helped with rotas for cleaning, flower arranging etc. She continued to drive although she never liked it, and was a candidate for the world’s slowest driver. She also finally started to use a computer, having been a technophobe most of her life.
Sadly a few years ago Pauline developed dementia and her needs for support increased. As this happened during COVID, care at home was not available and she was admitted to Tandridge Heights Nursing Home in Oxted. She was one of the more able residents, walking around the garden, and also became a patient’s ambassador; welcoming new residents to the nursing home. She enjoyed playing scrabble and also took part in other activities. She continued to correspond with many lifelong friends while in the Nursing Home and also wrote about her memories of her early life, until her dementia progressed (Editor’s Note: an article by Pauline was published in Newsletter 58),.
In her final year, Pauline enjoyed visits from the family in Barbados and shortly before her death Pauline had a phone conversation with Farrokh and she was able to engage with him. That conversation meant a lot to both of them. Pauline’s god daughter Jacquie also made a visit to see Pauline. Pauline enjoyed a close relationship with Jacquie and was pleased to see her.
Sadly, just before Christmas 2022 Pauline had a fall and was admitted to hospital. It was discovered that she had a serious chest infection which progressed to pneumonia. She was discharged back to the nursing home and her health quickly deteriorated. She died peacefully at the nursing home on 31 January with her family present. She will be missed by her family and friends.
Photo from the Order of Service at Pauline’s funeral
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MORE LIVING MEMORIES
Norman Hempstead (1941-1948)
Norman Hempstead passed away on 23 February 2023. His son David sent us this tribute:
Norman Hempstead was a pupil at the old Dorking Grammar School during the second world war, his family having been evacuated from south-east London to Sutton Abinger in 1940. On leaving school he took a degree in maths and physics at Exeter University, followed by two year’s national service in Malaysia. Back in civvy street he joined GSI, at the time the world’s leading geophysical exploration company. His job took him all over the globe, including spells living in Italy and Iran, before settling near Horsham in 1965. In 1986 he formed his own consultancy, and continued working until well into his eighties. He was closely involved in a variety of roles in the villages of Nuthurst and Lower Beeding, and in the diocese of Chichester. He maintained life-long friendships with fellow Old Dorkinians Alan and Ruth Saines, Bert and Audrey Randall, and Phil and Sheila Barnsby, though he himself “married out”, to Sue Elliott, from Bordon in Hampshire, in 1955. He is survived by Sue, and his three sons, David, Charles and Alistair.
Air Vice-Marshal Derek (”Dusty”) Saunders CBE (1944-1951)
AVM Derek (”Dusty”) Saunders CBE died on 11 February 2023. We are grateful to his daughter, Ailsa, for this obituary.
Dusty was born on the 14 November 1933 at Rose Cottage Nacton nr Ipswich to Arthur William Edward Chaplin Saunders and Dorothy May Helen Saunders (née Ives). He was an only child. His father was a gardener in service of Mr Scott of Rose Hall and his mother was a former housemaid, he thinks at Orwell Park. Shortly afterwards his father took up employment with Lord de Saumerez of Shrublands Park Needham Market (still in the de Saumerez family’s ownership today). In 1936 they moved to Leatherhead in Surrey to work for Mr Cullen, a London grocer, because his father felt that educational opportunities would be better near London.
Dusty started school at All Saints CofE School in 1938, but after one term he was moved because of a catchment area change to Poplar Road CofE School near the parish church, which was fortuitous because it had a good record of 11-plus successes. In 1944 Dusty earned a place at Dorking County School (now the Ashcombe School). At Poplar Road his particular friends had been Peter (‘Pete’) Rogers, Roy (‘Gus’) Guthrie and Mike Brown. It was Pete who gave him his nickname ‘Dusty’. It started as ‘Sorbo’ Saunders, then became ‘Sawdust’ Saunders , which rapidly translated to ‘Dusty’. It has stayed with him for the whole of his life.
Dusty loved maths, the sciences and French and Latin. He was a regular churchgoer and choir boy at All Saints Church and he carried on singing in choirs throughout his life, finally as a founder member of the Stewkley Singers. In 1949 Dusty sat for the School Certificate and did reasonably well, getting passes and credits in 8 subjects. His parents were approached by the Headmaster for him to stay on in the 6th Form to sit the Higher School Certificate in Pure Maths, Applied Maths, Physics and Chemistry because by that time he knew he wanted to be an electrical engineer. This was a difficult decision for them because his father’s income was £4 10s (£4.50) per week and his mother was working part-time as a home help
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The decision to support him in the 6th Form was life changing. He was offered a provisional place at King’s College London and was awarded a State Scholarship. He was sure that his success in exams was due greatly to the excellent teaching and support he received from ‘Brute’ Bradshaw (Maths & Sixth Form), ‘Spud’ Hayter (Physics) and ‘Chemie’ Rowlatt (Chemistry).
He joined the Engineering Faculty at Kings in October 1951. On Bonfire Night on 5th November 1952 he met Margaret whilst “rioting” over the failure of the authorities to provide a suitable site for students’ festivities. In his words “my life changed for ever on that night”. He graduated in 1954 and had gained a graduate apprenticeship with the British Thomson-Houston Company in Rugby. This gave him his first experience of aviation systems which was very useful when he joined the RAF for his National Service. Margaret graduated from Kings in 1955 and took up an appointment to teach Maths at the Wyggeston Girls School in Leicester.
His apprenticeship came to an end in June 1956. He was called up for his National Service, and elected to join the RAF. A new era was starting which became a career of more than 33 years. Dusty began his National Service, after being kitted out at RAF Cardington, by being sent to the Isle of Man where they were met by 2 Warrant Officers, one complete with waxed moustache. He remembers the food being truly awful and the weather being particularly challenging. He trained as an Electrical and Instruments Officer and gained an A1 Pass.
Margaret and Dusty married on 27 April 1957. Dusty had to seek permission from the Station Commander because he was under 25 years old! They bought a mobile home which they sited on a farmer’s field near Rugby, as they couldn’t afford a house.He then was posted to RAF Coltishall in August 1957, working with technicians solving many problems with Venom Night Fighters and later Javelin All-weather Fighters. It was during this time that Dusty decided to apply for a permanent commission.
Dusty had to undergo the whole Officer selection procedure again at Cranwell and was awarded his permanent commission on 9 September 1959. He went to RAF Technical College Henlow in April 1959 to convert from an E&I Officer to Engineer Electrical Officer, adding Radar, Wireless and Signals to his previous qualification. He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 10 October 1959. In December 1959 Dusty was posted to the Royal Aircraft Establishment Farnborough to the Radio Introduction Unit.
Their eldest son, Andrew, was born at Bedford North Wing Hospital on 23 November 1959. Their second son, Mark, was born on 30 August 1962 at the Princess Louis Margaret hospital in Aldershot. Margaret had to endure the rigours of an Army hospital! Their daughter, Ailsa, was born at the RAF Halton Hospital on 23 December 1964, where Margaret was looked after very well over Christmas.
In 1962 Dusty attended courses at Cranfield and gained a class II Diploma of the College of Aeronautics which was subsequently converted to an MSc. He received his Masters diploma from the Duke of Edinburgh. It was at this time that bought their first house, in Gowers Field in Aylesbury, so Dusty could commute daily to London. It was also at this time that Dusty became a full member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers.
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Various short courses and postings followed until in April 1969 when the family were uprooted and moved to Munich not returning to Britain until 1972, after enjoying the Munich Olympics! Dusty claims that this was the best tour of his career. Dusty was posted to Munich to join the project office for the MRCA – Multi-Role Combat Aircraft. The Brits quickly renamed this Mother Riley’s Cardboard Aircraft! The aircraft which was being developed later became known as the Tornado, which was in service with the RAF from 1979 to 2019. Dusty was an Avionics Specialist in the Systems Engineering Division. During the time in Munich Margaret and Dusty developed their lifelong love of caravanning. Dusty was promoted to Wing Commander on 1st January 1970. After returning to England he went on an Air Warfare Course and then was posted to the MOD, in an administrative role to the Directorate of Signals.
In 1972 they decided to buy a house in Aston Clinton from where he could again commute daily to London. In former times it had been a teetotal Temperance hotel, and was in poor condition (that was why they could afford to buy it). They owned this house until they moved to Stewkley in 2001. In February 1974 the family once again moved to Germany to RAF Rheindahlen. By this time all 3 children were at boarding school. In Germany they joined the Services Caravan Club (Germany) and Dusty became its Chairman for 2 years. In Rheindahlen he was promoted to Group Captain and was responsible for all ground and airbourne electrical, electronics and photographic systems and personnel in the Command. The aircraft flown in the Command included Harrier, Phantom, Jaguar, Buccaneer, Pembroke and a pair of Chipmonks in Berlin. During this time he formed one half of the Joint Signals Board Germany, the other half being an Army Major General.
In January 1977 Dusty was made Commanding Officer at RAF Stanbridge. He was the last Group Captain Commanding Officer at RAF Stanbridge. During this tour Dusty made proposals for the re-organisation of Support Command Signals in preparation for the introduction of digital systems, which were adopted. At the end of the tour he was posted supernumary to the Telecommunications Branch of Support Command Signals HQ to start the transformation.
Dusty was then offered a place on the very prestigious Royal College of Defence Studies Course, during which he made many friends destined for influential positions across the friendly world. This meant he was awarded the symbol RCDS in the Royal Air Force List. In January 1980 he was promoted to Air Commodore and he became Air Commodore Signals at RAF Benson. He was the RAF member of the Defence Signals Board. It was whilst in this role that the Falklands Conflict occurred. Dusty remembered that communications were a particular problem and the signals staff rose to the occasion magnificently.
In 1983 Dusty was posted to Brussels where he was responsible for the new telephone and telegraph systems being introduced to connect all the NATO Headquarters and foreign and defence ministries, and included the encryption systems needed to protect the communications links.
In 1985 he was appointed a CBE in the New Year Honours List. This was awarded for his work during the Falklands conflict, where he had been Director of Signals. In June 1987 he was promoted to Air Vice Marshal with his final posting being back at MOD in London as Chairman of the Defence Signals Board. Dusty retired from the RAF on 4th April 1990 not long after the Berlin Wall came down. He had served for the whole of the Cold War. By the time Dusty retired from the RAF they had moved house 22 times.
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At this time he learned that Aylesbury High School was advertising for a bursar. It was the school where Ailsa had spent the Sixth Form, so he applied and was appointed to bring the new Local Management of Schools Initiative to fruition, where state schools were given their own budgets and expected to manage them. After 6 years he retired again, but continued to work with the school for some time in a voluntary role.
Margaret and Dusty moved to Stewkley in 2001 and soon settled in to the village. They joined the Church, the Stewkley Branch of the Royal British Legion, becoming Chairman then President. He was a founder member of the Stewkley Singers and enjoyed many of the village events, especially the Christmas Band Concert, the Coffee Stop and the Mutual where he and Margaret gave a few talks over the years. Margaret and Dusty carried on camping visiting Norway, Sweden, and Hungary as well as several trips in the UK and France. On returning to the UK after Rheindahlen they joined the Services Caravan Club Germany Exiles, being exiles from Germany! They changed from caravans to campervans, starting with a VW camper nicknamed Biscuit, due to its colour, then a VWLT and in March 2015 they bought a Ford Globecar. Margaret never manged to camp in the Globecar but Dusty was camping with the SCCG (Exiles) until last year when with support from the group he managed 2 trips.
Dusty spent the last few years living with Ailsa and her family in, as he described it a “splendid modern house” built on the site of the bungalow Margaret and Dusty had lived in since 2001.
Dusty passed away on 11 February 2023. He leaves three children and six grandchildren, who were a constant source of joy to him and he was very proud of all their various achievements.