Issue 21
Forthcoming Reunions Class of 2005 – 10 year reunion November 20th 2015 7.30-10.30pm at KES
Class of 1990 – 25 year reunion January 29th 2016 7.30-10.30pm at KES
Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter Universities Reunion March 11th 2016 The Grand Hotel, Bristol
Poole Veterans’ Luncheon May 15th 2016 12.00-4.00pm at KES
William Capon Club Dinner
Lawrence Walters (KES 1999 - 2007)
World record breaking trans-Atlantic row. Former GB dinghy sailors Lawrence Walters and his friend Tom Rainey swapped their sails for oars when they completed a 93 day, 4,300 mile record-breaking row from New York to Salcombe this summer. Their epic, non-stop and unsupported journey saw them survive a deadly hurricane, monster waves, hallucinations and a brutal capsize.
June 10th 2016 7.30-10.30pm at KES For further details of any of the above events, please contact The Development Office on edwardians@kes.hants.sch.uk or ring 023 8070 4561
Update us with your contact details Please help us to stay in touch by sending us your current postal address, email and mobile number. Even if you are receiving your copy of the magazine by email then keep us updated if you move house to ensure you receive invitations and information on the relevant reunion events. Please email us at: edwardians@kes.hants.sch.uk giving your full name and date of birth.
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King Edward VI School Wilton Road . Southampton . Hampshire SO15 5UQ Telephone: 023 8070 4561
www.kes.hants.sch.uk 1
craft. Instead, Lawrence and Tom had no option but to row through the night, into the eye of the storm, and out the other side. On another occasion, the pair’s shore team received a distress signal from Yves’s emergency beacon. It seemed to have either been switched off manually or broken and so the team’s operations director Alex Janzen, a lieutenant colonel in the Royal Marines, decided to wait. If he raised the alarm, a search and rescue operation would spell the end of the record attempt. Lawrence and Tom were due to call in again in 15 minutes. Thankfully they dialled in on time – Tom had apparently knocked the emergency beacon from its cradle with his feet and hadn’t realised. Despite originally attempting to break the existing 55 day speed record for the route, the experienced pair saw that chance evaporate within the first month when they became stuck in a monstrous loop of current caused by the interaction between the Gulf Stream and a series of seamounts 300 miles south of Halifax, Nova Scotia. After being pushed around in a loop hundreds of miles across for 10 days the pair were eventually able to break free by rowing back the way they had come to break out of the monster eddy. Their chances of breaking the record were, however, in tatters. Nevertheless, less than a week later the team were helped out by the Gulf Stream and favourable wind conditions allowing them to achieve a new World Record for the greatest distance covered in 24 hours by an ocean rowing boat; an astounding 112.5 nautical miles (129 miles). The second world record was achieved as the two oarsmen finished their challenge to become the youngest team to ever complete the route. Tom Rainey celebrated his 24th birthday at sea but the usual flurry of presents and cake was replaced by a simple kind gesture from his teammate. Lawrence’s gift to his rowing partner was the last of the shampoo and the final squirt of deodorant. Along the way they grappled with the 40-knot winds and 80ft high waves of an Atlantic hurricane and were thrown around their tiny cabin like rag dolls when their boat capsized twice. That was not the worst of it however. That came on a day when the sun was shining and a gentle breeze was blowing. Suddenly the barometer dropped and the sky got dark. The wind swung round 90 degrees, picking up speed so suddenly it was too late to launch the sea anchor — an underwater parachute that slows and steadies the 2
Throughout the journey, the twosome took it in turns to row, each spending two hours on the oars before resting in the cabin for two hours whilst the other took over. They carried everything they needed on their boat, making drinking water by using an electrical desalination device powered (like everything else) by solar panels. As the midsummer approached the duo’s progress was of sufficient concern for them to start rationing their food supply. They saved up an occasional meal and held onto one or two chocolate bars from their 6,000kCal daily food supply. This meant that they were gradually getting fewer and fewer calories every day and both rowers lost a significant amount of weight during the challenge. The idea for the row came about when Tom Rainey decided to take on a challenge to honour the memory of his late father, Luke, who died from a Brain Tumour in 2012. In taking on the North Atlantic they were raising funds for the Brain Tumour Charity to fund their early detection programme and help prevent other families losing loved ones from this indiscriminate disease. To date they have raised over £98,000 and this continues to rise.
Their boat was built by SeaSabre Ltd in Axminster and is called ‘Yves’, in memory of Tom’s father’s boat which is called ‘Yves Christian’. Life on board is, however, stark with few comforts. The bedroom is the size of a small cupboard, the bathroom is a bucket, there are only two ‘rooms’ and there is no TV, fridge or shower. It is very technologically advanced though, carrying solar panels which power navigation and communication equipment, anti-collision devices, lights and the all-important music system. During the 90+ days that Tom and Lawrence were alone aboard ‘Yves’; they suffered jellyfish stings, were encircled by sharks, and endured raging storms but it was all worth it as they sailed into Salcombe on August 4th to be welcomed by a small fleet of yachts and other small boats and make their way into the Guinness Book of Records. You can still support Tom and Lawrence’s fundraising efforts by making a donation via their justgiving website. https://www. justgiving.com/OceanValour/ **All images are courtesy of OceanValour
From the Editor We have much to look forward to this year with five reunion events planned, as well as several sporting fixtures. The first of the sporting events took place in September when the Edwardian girls’ hockey team beat the KES 1st XI in the annual preseason match played at Wellington. Having had to settle for a loss or draw for the past three years, they were delighted to finally take the trophy! Last term we sadly said farewell to another long standing member of KES staff; Jane Thomas (Deputy Head – Pastoral) who has been at the School for nearly twentyfive years. A vast number of you will have memories of her within the many roles she has fulfilled at KES. We wish her all the best in her retirement.
Enclosed with this copy of The Edwardian you will find information about donating to The King Edward VI Foundation that raises money to provide bursarial and fee support to children applying to KES from less affluent family backgrounds. A monthly direct debit donation of as little as £5 can make a huge difference, as can a bequest or a single donation. Please do consider joining with others in supporting this fundraising intiative. The Edwardian community continues to be busy and we always enjoy receiving your news. Please do continue to send it to us so that we can share it. Suzanne Hooper Development Officer
From the Head The new academic year began with some very damp weather bringing summer to an abrupt end but which did, at least, ensure that our rugby pitches were in excellent condition for the South Coast Kings’ Rugby Tournament in September. August saw some very good IGCSE and A Level results. Four-fifths of our students will proceed to The Times top 25 universities and nine students have gained places at Oxford and Cambridge. The School continues to invest in all of its principal facilities. The Fitness Suite has been expanded, a new viewing gallery and hospitality area built at our Wellington sports ground and additional music and catering facilities added. On the Stroud site, our prep school in Romsey, we have refurbished a number of areas including the old kitchen. There have been several farewells to note this year. Mrs Thomas retired in August as our Deputy Head (Pastoral), after twentyfour years of service to the School. She has been a key figure in developing the welfare of students, particularly in the critical role as our Child Protection Lead Officer. Mr Dodds, the Head of our prep school at Stroud, has also retired after twenty-two years leading the school with a notable contribution as we merged our two cultures. Mr Goldie has retired after thirteen years as the Assistant Bursar
(Facilities) and Mrs Rass as the Bursar’s PA after a similar period of service. Other staff moving to roles in other schools include Dr Purves, Mr Kay, Miss Stenning and Mrs Coker. We have had a number of alumni reunion events ranging from hockey and golf to our annual gathering of the Poole Veterans and the five yearly dinner for Heads and Deputy Heads of School. It is always good to hear from former students and we welcome snippets of news from OEs around the world. Of particular note is the story recorded in these pages of the extraordinary but tragically brief life of Lance Corporal Coulthard whose grave in Germany has finally been identified and rededicated. We are very grateful to Steve Foster for his article and his determined efforts to give long overdue recognition to a fine scholar and very brave soldier. The King Edward VI Foundation continues to provide support for children from disadvantaged backgrounds so that they can benefit from an education at King Edward’s. Further details may be obtained from the School through Ms Hooper or via the website. As ever we are grateful to the OE Association for its support of the School’s activities and to our staff who organise reunions of various sorts. AJ Thould Head
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News from the School Summer Arts Festival The KES 2015 Arts Festival ran for three days at the end of June providing a colourful myriad of workshops and performances to challenge and inspire. Forty-eight visiting artists came to the School over the three days to work with students, and workshops included Samba drum and dance, print making, violin playing, fashion design, enamel jewellery making, illusion theatre, singing, Bollywood dance, mime, comedy and origami. A Big Top was erected on the School Field and hosted the annual Art Exhibition as well as several spectacular large scale events. The highlight of the festival was the traditional Street Theatre held at lunchtime on the School Field on the last day. Set in glorious sunshine, this included something for everyone with a miniature railway, fairground organ, crazy golf, face painting, buskers, dancers, magicians, Punch and Judy and a whole school Zumba dance.
Speech Day 2015 On Friday 18th September, pupils, parents, staff, governors and guests spent the afternoon at The Mayflower Theatre to celebrate current and former pupils’ successes at the annual Speech Day and prize giving event. The chief guest and speaker was Mandy Hickson, a former RAF GR4 pilot and one of the first female pilots to fly in combat in Iraq. She spoke about her experiences flying multimillion pound fast jets and the importance of staying calm under pressure. Her inspirational talk included the difficulties she had to overcome during her training and the importance of working as a team.
Himalayan Trip In July, a team of twenty-four KES Sixth-Formers and staff set off on the expedition of a lifetime to Ladakh, Northern India, for a trekking experience in the Himalayas. On arrival in Leh, at 3,600 metres above sea level and the gateway to the Northern Himalayas, the group spent the first few days completing several acclimatisation treks before departing on their principal eight day expedition. During their trek they experienced the most magnificent views, completed a nine hour gorge walk, where they met some challenging unstable slopes and fast flowing water, and also visited Rizong Gompa Monastery, meeting a child monk. On their journey home, the group visited Delhi where they made straight for Agra to visit the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal.
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Leaving staff KES Honey Harvest In September, a team of KES students extracted over 20lb of honey from the supers lifted from the KES bee hives earlier in the summer. The harvesting was overseen by visiting apiarist Dave Norris, himself an OE.
Mrs Thomas retired in July after twentyfour years at KES. She has been an outstanding contributor to the School throughout her career, not just as a superb Mathematics teacher, tutor, Head of Year and Deputy Head but also as a first-rate hockey coach, having captained the Loughborough University 1st XI, been the England Universities Captain and a member of the England U21 training squad.
Sports Tour to South Africa The 2015 Sports Tour to South Africa departed from British shores with great anticipation at the start of the summer break. The boys’ rugby and the girls’ hockey teams each played five schools in and around the Cape Town area meeting pupils with a variety of skills, from a wide range of backgrounds. The KES rugby team were to finish winning three of their five matches whilst on the hockey field, the KES girls made fantastic progress and thoroughly deserved their excellent playing record, winning all five of their matches. The group were based in Cape Town for much of the trip so were well placed to do some sightseeing. They visited Seal Island, drove through Camps Bay and travelled down to the Cape of Good Hope which gave quite stunning views across False Bay where the Atlantic meets the Pacific. Undoubtedly, the two highlights
Jane Thomas
were going to the top of Table mountain and out to Robben Island. Although a safari was not on the itinerary they did manage to see a good amount of wildlife spending a morning at the Drakenstein Lion Park and Chimp Haven, the West Coast Ostrich Farm and spent some time with the very popular penguins at Boulders Beach. A successful tour needs to have development in sports performance, the opportunity to experience local cultures, to provide all with an insight into the country being visited and encourage the forming of friendships. This trip had all of this and more and was truly a great success.
Mrs Thomas came to KES in September 1991 and soon made her mark, becoming Deputy Head of the Lower School in 1993. Her pastoral expertise also quickly became apparent and she wrote a paper on bullying which the then Head, Mr Cookson, felt was ‘quite outstanding’. This still forms the basis of our current approach twenty years on. She was promoted to Head of the Lower School in September 2003, became the Assistant Head (Pastoral) in 2008 and Deputy Head (Pastoral) in 2010. Much of her work has taken place behind the scenes. She has been the School’s Child Protection Lead Officer, a critical and often very demanding role, for the past five years and has also taken on the mantle of Compliance Officer in addition to her duties as Deputy Head. Mrs Thomas has been involved with the Staff Appeal Liaison Committee and the development of PSHE into the carefully structured course it is today. She has also been instrumental in developing the Lower School Merit system, something which remains a key part of the lives of First, Second and Third Year pupils. Mrs Thomas always had time for others despite her extremely busy workload and is an expert listener. Everything she does she approaches with great professionalism, attention to detail and a robust sense of humour. Few staff have given so much of their time and energy to the School. She is a remarkable teacher and she will be greatly missed. Mr Thould
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An invite to St James’s Palace Emma Preston, Matt Nahajski, Julia Roope, Harrison Lewis, Meera Thekrar and Annie Clarke were invited to St James’s Palace earlier this year to receive their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards. They even managed to have a chat with the Duke of Edinburgh himself who enquired as to the relevance of Matt and Harrison’s matching ties. They were wearing their prepositors’ ties!
Virginia Stuart Taylor (KES 2000-2007) shortlisted for the ‘Rising Star’ programme Congratulations to Virginia Stuart Taylor who, in August, was shortlisted amongst thirty elite young people, from around the world, for Kruger Cowne’s ‘Rising Star’ programme. Talent management and speaker agency Kruger Cowne represent many of the world’s bestknown humanitarians, entertainers and entrepreneurs and have joined with One Young World, the preeminent global forum for young leaders, and Spaceship Earth Grants to launch a global search for an icon of the future and catapult them into space – upon the XCOR Lynx® Spacecraft. In August, the Rising Star programme, which was launched at the One Young World Summit 2014 in Dublin, shortlisted thirty elite young people for its programme. The shortlisting team trawled through applications from over seventy-five countries and identified thirty outstanding candidates who dream of making the world a better place. Virginia Stuart-Taylor was one of these thirty. “Our chosen thirty represent the epitome of hope, leadership and talent. Spanning countries and continents, these hopefuls strive to make a difference in the world and provide a voice for those who wish to join the debate on a global scale. From societal and environmental issues, to politics and business, each and every one of our shortlist dreams of inspiring a global audience and influencing change,” says Mark Cowne, CEO of Kruger Cowne. Each of the thirty extraordinary individuals has their own inspiring, unique story. Virginia applied to the programme with 6
hopes of raising awareness about the wrongs and injustices faced by millions of children in developing countries across the world. She writes the award-winning travel blog www.TheWell-TravelledPostcard. com and it was her travels around Central America, East Asia and Africa that first opened her eyes to the harsh realities facing the world’s poorest children. She is now a Digital Ambassador for the global children’s charity Plan UK. Being short-listed to the final thirty is an outstanding achievement for Virginia and although she just missed out on making the final three who will fly to Bangkok in November to find out who is the ultimate winner, she continues to fundraise for global children’s charity Plan UK. In November, she will take part in the Athens Marathon. It will be her first marathon attempt ever and takes her on a route first run in 490BC. “I knew that if I was going to muster the strength to run a whole marathon, then it would have to be in a foreign country,” says Virginia. “The Athens Marathon is considered the ultimate marathon and follows the original route, from the ancient Greek city of Marathon to the Athens Olympic Stadium.” Virginia, who has visited forty-four countries across the world, also sponsors a 10-year-old girl in Honduras through Plan UK. “If my travels have taught me anything, it’s that the world is full of injustice and that in the UK we are hugely lucky. However there are millions of people around the
world living in extreme poverty, with little hope of ever escaping,” says Virginia. “Of all the issues the charity tackles, the ‘Because I am a Girl’ campaign resonates the most with me. It works to support every girl’s right to live free from violence, to go to school and to have their voices heard. I believe that it’s every woman’s duty to help other less fortunate women and girls and it’s the very least I can do,” she adds. Virginia and Plan’s other Digital Ambassadors are prominent bloggers who are passionate about girls’ rights and ending child poverty. They help raise awareness of Plan’s work in the developing world through their digital networks. If you would like to sponsor Virginia’s marathon attempt visit: https://www. justgiving.com/Virginia-Stuart-Taylor/
Sport
Girls’ hockey On Saturday 21st September a strong OE side faced the KES 1st XI hockey side in a bid to once again claim the trophy in their annual pre-season match. The OE girls’ team have had to settle for a loss or a draw for the past four years so this year a very determined squad took to the pitch. The OEs scored first with a short corner from Jo Walford but the KES girls equalised shortly afterwards. However, a second goal from Nicky Brooks just before half-time
saw the OEs go in to the second half with the upper hand. A further third goal from Emily Ball sealed their victory and the team finally achieved their win. Many thanks to all those who took part, to Mr Crichton and Mrs Kelly for organising the school team and to Alex Morgan for tirelessly getting the OE team together. Well done ladies. OE team: Emily Ball, Sophie Bentley, Nicky Brooks, Frankie Dukes, Katie Newsome, Jen Raw, Pip Rees, Ria Rhodes, Kathryn Sales née Raw, Gina Steel, Jill Tombs, Jo Walford.
Boys’ hockey In the summer, a team of OE cricket players challenged the School 1st XI in the annual match. The School batted first and, after a stuttering start to their innings, losing wickets at regular intervals, a good inning from Tom Smart enabled them to reach 191 off 35 overs. In reply, the OE innings followed a similar pattern. A strong inning from Adam Wilkinson gave the OEs a chance, but eventually they were bowled out 35 runs short of the target to give the School a second consecutive victory. Our thanks to Ali Cheyne for organising the OE team.
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Lance Corporal John Antony Ronald Coulthard (KES 1931-1936) In the last edition of The Edwardian we recounted the story of Lance Corporal John Antony Ronald Coulthard, his attempted escape as a POW and heroic return from freedom, having already crossed in to Switzerland, in a bid to help his friend Sgt Foster with whom he was travelling and who had been stopped at the border. Antony subsequently died on The Long March of 1945 but Sgt Foster survived and upon his death his son, Steve, set about trying to trace the grave of the man who had selflessly given up his freedom to help his father.
The Quest for Antony’s Grave
In 2011, I, the Son of Sgt Foster, re-read my father’s letters and papers pertaining to his war service as part of the process of tracing and recording my family tree. These papers had been stored in an old suitcase and had not been looked at since his death in 1990. It was whilst reading my father’s letters, both to MI9 and to and from Antony’s mother, that I became fascinated by the story; the care and detail that went into preparing for the escape, the act of comradeship by Antony at the Swiss border in returning to help his friend and finally, the sad death in dreadful circumstances on the Long March just days before the war ended. Now realising why my father could speak perfect German all 8
of his life, out of respect for both men, I decided to find Antony Coulthard’s grave; believing incorrectly that Antony was an only child, I thought it would be a single handed project. During the latter part of 2011, I wrote many letters to the various authorities I thought may have some knowledge of where Antony’s grave might be and also to build up a picture of the man. All replies were helpful but did not further the quest for the whereabouts of Antony’s grave and I could not break the deadlock. Major Alan Edwards of the Military Intelligence Museum allowed full access to all of the Corps records and it was whilst reading this information that a breakthrough
occurred. A copy of the letter sent by the Prisoner of War Casualty Directorate to Antony’s parents in June 1945 stated that Antony had been buried in Kaltenhof on 24 March 1945. This aligned with the date that was previously believed to be the date of Antony’s death but not the place. Prior to this discovery, all documents that had been seen indicated that Antony was buried in Domitz, on the East bank of the Elbe in what was to become Soviet East Germany. During this period of research, a website used by those interested in World War Two history was consulted on a fairly regular basis to see if any facts were known about Antony. To my amazement a thread discussing Antony Coulthard had been
started in 2010 and I was subsequently contacted by Barbara Willoughby-Thomas, who lived in Australia and who was Antony’s niece; also keen to find his grave. Barbara contacted her cousin Andrew in England and he found two documents which were crucial to the search. The first was a letter to Antony’s parents from a colleague on the Long March, Private Dennis Bonner. He was present when Antony died and went on to say where Antony was carried by his colleagues for burial and had drawn a fairly accurate sketch map of the area. By comparing the sketch map with a present day map of the area, it became clear that Antony had died in a barn in Kaltenhof and been buried by his comrades in a cemetery in the neighbouring village of Quickborn. A second document produced by Andrew, appeared to be a hand written sketch of the Kaltenhof/Quickborn area with German annotations and showed the most likely burial place to be Quickborn. It transpired Antony’s parents had asked German friends to search for his grave after the war and this was the map they had produced. Accompanying this map was a letter sent in 1948 to Antony’s Father by the DGRE acknowledging receipt of the map and that it would be sent to the searcher teams operating in Germany. It appeared that in 1948 the search for the grave was narrowing to the Quickborn area; they were not to know it but Antony’s body had already been moved. At about this time I decided to visit the National Archives to conduct research into deaths on the Long March. I discovered documents relating to the death of Antony and twenty-nine of his colleagues. Staff Sergeant TSC Aitken, the senior British NCO in the column, had written a powerful affidavit for the United Nations War Crime Commission accusing the German Officer in charge of the column of ill treatment of the POWs and murder. This officer was found guilty of War Crimes and executed in 1946. The affidavit contained an Annexe with details of the dead including where, when and how they died. Antony’s name appeared as the thirtieth on the list, the last to die, and the document confirmed that he did die on 24 March at Kaltenhof. I consulted the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) data base and cross checked the details on S/Sgt Aitken’s document. The names, ranks, Regiments or Corps and official numbers all cross checked but the most important piece of information was that twenty-three of the thirty on the list had been exhumed from their original burial places by the DGRE and
moved to the Berlin War Cemetery. The seven that had not been found presumably still remained in their original graves and were only memorialised at the Dunkirk War Memorial. Antony was one of these seven. A letter was then sent to the CWGC with the information obtained to date, asking if they had any knowledge of L/Cpl Coulthard’s grave and if he had been recovered by the DGRE after the war. The answer was that they had no specific knowledge of him but that the bodies of two unknown British soldiers had been removed from Quickborn cemetery in July 1947 and re-buried in Becklingen War Cemetery near Soltau. Plot XV111, Row C, graves 1 and 2 were given as the grave numbers the two bodies were moved to. In the spring of 2012, Barbara and I had decided we had gathered enough information and clues to meet in Germany to attempt to find Antony’s grave and in May we visited the two graves at Becklingen. To our surprise, Grave 1 was that of an identified soldier of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment and only grave 2 was marked as “A soldier of the 39-45 War, known unto God.” This, almost certainly, pointed to the fact that LCpl Coulthard was buried in Grave 2 as an “Unknown”. We then moved on to the Kaltenhof area where we were met and escorted by a local historian, Dr Rolf Meyer, who was accompanied by a local military historian, Herr Oliver Eicke. Their help proved vital in ensuring we visited the right places, asked the right questions and also to act as interpreters whilst interviewing local people. Prior to our arrival, Dr Meyer had discovered that a local man, Herr Hermann Apitz, aged seventy-nine, had lived in Kaltenhof as a boy and could remember that a group of two to three hundred British POWs had stayed in the barn, owned by his father, in March 1945. He could further remember that one of the POWs had died during the second night. It was arranged that we were to meet at the barn where he described the sequence of events and added that in the morning he had seen a British POW lying dead at the entrance to the barn. This was indeed vital information and he signed a statement to that effect. The position of the barn also aligned exactly with the sketch produced by Private Bonner. He also stated that a second group had marched through Kaltenhof and stayed at the barn in April 1945, one of whom had also died. Oliver Eicke then gave an overview of the military situation in the Quickborn area during March, April and May of 1945. The
farmhouse owned by the Apitz family was commandeered as the local German army HQ and the family were made to live in the cellar. He continued that it would make sense that the passing POW columns utilised the barn at what was now, the Army HQ. He concluded that as no direct combat ever took place between the German and British armies in the area, any graves of British servicemen must have been from passing POW columns. We then met the Pastor of Quickborn church who briefed us that two British soldiers had been buried in the church cemetery in 1945 but were moved by the British in 1947. Unfortunately he had no records to that effect but a very elderly grave digger could remember the position of the graves and the church still held the wooden cross which was removed from one of the graves when the bodies were moved to Becklingen. The existence of a wooden cross aligned with the statements from both S/Sgt Aitken and Private Bonner. On 6 June 2012 a letter, with accompanying evidence, was forwarded to the CWGC requesting that the grave at Becklingen War Cemetery Plot XV111, Row C, Grave 2 be recognised as that of 5386215 Lance Corporal JAR Coulthard, Intelligence Corps, Mentioned in Despatches. The CWGC subsequently forwarded that request to the Joint Compassionate and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) of the Service Personnel & Veterans Agency, the deciding authority for assigning identities to British service personnel buried as unknowns. After a wait of almost three years, on 24 March 2015, exactly seventy years after Antony’s sad death, the JCCC confirmed that they agreed with my findings and that the grave would be recognised of that of LCpl Coulthard. Since then a new headstone with Intelligence Corps insignia, personal details and personalised epitaph has been crafted by the CWGC to replace the original “unknown” headstone and in July 2015, a service was held at Becklingen Cemetery, Germany, and attended by members of both the Coulthard and Foster families as well as representatives of the Intelligence Corps, JCCC and CWGC. The Officer in Charge of the JCCC said: “We are incredibly privileged to give this remarkable hero a named resting place as well as eternal status in Intelligence Corps history. LCpl Coulthard deserves to be recognised for his selflessness in helping his fellow comrade without any regard for his own freedom.” Steve Foster (Son of Sgt Foster) 9
Reunions Former Heads and Deputy Heads of School Reunion Dinner In May, over 50 people attended the Former Heads and Deputy Heads of School Dinner. Kenneth Leslie, Head of School in 1942 was the most senior Head of School present whilst the then current Head of School, Emma Falconer, along with Deputies Gina Steel, Caitlin Brown and Joe Weatherley represented KES as it is today.
Pre 1939 Leavers’ Luncheon A small group of the School’s most senior alumni met for their annual lunch during the summer term.
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Poole Veterans’ Luncheon
In June, the annual Poole Veterans’ Luncheon was well supported by over thirty former wartime evacuees.
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Golf The Order of Merit competition was created in 2014 and runs as a complement to each of the four OE golf events played from April to September. Its objective is to determine the most consistent and successful golfer from amongst all who enter (any or all of) the competitions. Points are awarded on a sliding scale, from 10 for a win to 2 for entering. It is also possible to lose 10 points by entering and “no-showing”! The winner holds the handsome claret jug replica for the following year and keeps a smaller version as a permanent token. However, the real value is knowing that over the four possible events you have a better record than all the other OE golfers. The winner of the individual stableford competition at Rowlands Castle Golf Course, our opening event, is obviously also the leader in the Order of Merit table. In 2015 first time appearances from Eddie Fisher and Rich Hambly, who were first and second respectively, headed the table. The eight members of the Triangular team won some easy points as they all had a walkover win against an absent Old Tauntonians team and a 7 to 1 win over the Old Symondians. Andrew McNaught emerged as the new leader with Howard Hilliker, Joe Sach and Darren Cooper within 3 points. Simon Porter scooped the 10 points at the Wally Kemp event with another new player, John Croft, securing second and Andrew adding 5 more points to his total and topping the leader board with 20.
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The deciding event, the Ray Paull Medal, took place on a very soft course at Goodwood Park Golf Course in changeable conditions. Ten players had a mathematical chance of winning at the start of play but, for a variety of excuses, only three of them entered to challenge Andrew McNaught. None of them were able to mount any real challenge, and our Order of Merit winner for 2015 was Andrew McNaught, who was also not playing! In anticipation of this Peter Feltham had organised a presentation of the trophy to Andrew a couple of weeks earlier. Eliza Thornton (née Ellerby), who is our first OE lady golfer; kindly did the honours at the Berkshire Golf Club after playing in a friendly match with Andrew and Peter Feltham. Altogether, thirty-three OE golfers played in one or more of the qualifying events and this year no-one had a 10 point deduction! Fourteen players managed to play two or more events but only Howard Hilliker and Nick Creal scored in all competitions. Thank you to everyone who tried and if you want OE golf immortality enter as many of our events as you can and beat your fellow competitors! Peter Feltham // OE golf organiser 2016 Golfing events Tuesday 26th April
The Interhouse Challenge
Rowlands Castle Golf Course
Tuesday 7th June
Triangular Match v OT & OS
Hockley Golf Course
Friday 15 July
Wally Kemp Cup
(venue TBC)
Tuesday 13th September
Ray Paull Medal
Goodwood Park Golf Course
From
The Old Edwardians' Association
Subscribing Members
Lost members!
University Letters
Can you help us please?
The OEA has been updating its Old Edwardians’ database and is now looking for your help in tracing lost members. If you know the present contact details for any of the members listed below then please ask them to establish contact with Suzanne Hooper, the School Development Officer by email at the School on edwardians@kes. hants.sch.uk who will pass your details on to the OEA and amend the school database so that you receive news on OE activities.
The OEA would like to reintroduce the practice of inviting a recent graduate to contribute to the magazine by asking them to write a letter with their comments on settling in to their new university. If you would like to submit any news please send correspondence for the attention of Tony Rowthorn at the School’s address.
We receive listings of annual subscriptions for the OEA from our bankers, annually and at various times during the year. These total in excess of 550. Each time, approximately forty of these are difficult (and in a few cases impossible) to identify due to insufficient or incorrect information. The information we require is basically to identify the payee. May we ask, therefore, that you instruct your bank or building society to correct these on the basis of the criteria listed below: • If you are including subscription for more than one person in your payment, please list both names and initials • If the payment is being made from a joint account, please list the surname with initials and add the payee’s (member’s) surname and initials prefixed “Re” • If payment is being made on behalf of a married lady member from a joint account, please list the lady’s maiden surname and initials separately, prefixed “nee” • If payment is being made from a joint partnership account, please list the surnames and initials of both parties and surname and initials of the member’s name • If payment is being made for a third party, please list the member’s surname and initials prefixed “Re” • If payment is being made from a single account holder, please list the member’s surname and initials • If payment is being made from a single account holder in the name of a married lady member, please list the married surname and initials and the maiden surname and initials prefixed “nee”
It would be helpful, if you are now married, if you could identify yourself by your maiden name as your school records will reflect this. Anna Cattaneo John D. Broughton Brian Chiplin Michael W Bryant Martin L. Cook Alistair Burns Michael L. Cooper Robert J. Cooper Michael Cousins Robert C. Coward Marcel J.G.H. Cranmer Paul Campbell Note from the Development Office: Some of you may have been in touch with the School via the Development Office over the past few years and have provided us with updated contact details. However, we are unable to share these unless we have your written permission so please do get in contact with us if you appear on the OEA’s list.
Thank you for your help Tony Rowthorn Former OEA President
Thank you for your help with this. 13
Obituaries Ian Gibson Coltart
Geoffrey Miles Holden
Kenneth Ernest Lamper
(KES 1928-1937)
(KES 1945-1951)
(KES 1944-1948)
Ian left KES in 1937 and in 1938 he joined the Inns of Court (TA) and when war broke out he was commissioned into the Lanarkshire Yeomanry. He volunteered with the 14th and 26th Mounted Regiments in the Indian Army, saw action in the North African Campaign at El Alamein in 1942 and also joined the Raiding Support Regiment (RSR) consisting of the SAS and a number of specialist offshoots. In 1946 he married Joan and they moved to Cape Town where Ian worked for Longmans Green & Co Let. In 1950 they moved to Kenya and lived there for 17 years during which time Ian travelled extensively around Eastern and Central Africa promoting educational publishing. Having moved back to the UK in 1967, Ian built up a successful business which enabled him to continue representing British and overseas publishers, promoting their books in Africa and the Middle East. He retired in 2000 and in 2010 he and Joan moved to Derbyshire to be nearer their family where they continued to live life to the full. Ian passed away in July 2014 just months after Joan.
Geoff passed away in April of this year, aged 80, after a long illness. He joined King Edward’s in 1945 following the School’s return to Hill Lane after evacuation to Poole and after leaving in 1951 completed his National Service in the Royal Air Force. On his return home, he joined the family business, W.R. Holden & Co (a well-known and highly respected local firm of coal, corn and seed merchants and pet and garden supplies) and was appointed Managing Director at the age of 24, with a chain of seven shops during the 1960s. Changing market conditions led him to stop trading from all but two and he formed a family property company. Geoff’s great sporting love was cricket and he was a talented club cricketer, playing for the Old Edwardians, for Hampshire as one of ‘Holts Colts’ and for Southampton Wednesday, Deanery, Hursley Park, and the Rams. Later he played golf at Stoneham, where for several years he was chairman of the ‘Greens Committee’. Geoff was a practising Freemason and a member of the Old Edwardians’ Lodge where he was regular attendee. He will be sadly missed by his family and friends and is survived by his wife, Maureen, his daughters, Sarah and Vanessa, and his son, Philip, a former Head of School.
On leaving school, Ken trained as a baker in order to follow in his father’s footsteps. The family owned Lampers Bakery, one of Southampton’s last family bakeries with shops in Bishop’s Road, Woolston and Bitterne Park. He qualified as a master baker and confectioner at Borough Polytechnic Institute in London and after completing National Service in 1954 began working at the family business. He married Shirley in 1957 and in 1973 took over the business from his father. Ken provided the catering for many people throughout the city during his working life including making a cake for The Beatles when the band performed at The Gaumont in 1963. Ken was also a Freemason, a Past Master of Meon Valley Lodge, and a long serving member of the Southampton Old Edwardians’ Lodge. He received Provincial Rank. He leaves his wife Shirley, daughter, Tricia, and son, Mark.
Derek Keith Donaldson (KES 1941-1948)
Eric Alfred Franklin (KES 1934-1939)
Gerald Malcolm Fryer
Dr James Christopher Klewe (KES 1987-1994)
Dr Raymond Oliver (KES 1958-1966) Whilst at King Edward’s Ray was a prepositor and a long-standing member of the School Choir. After leaving KES, he studied Chemistry at Exeter University and went on to gain an M.Sc. and then a Ph.D. He subsequently co-authored a number of successful science books for use in schools.
(KES 1945-1952)
Merchandise
The School has a range of Edwardian merchandise for sale. This includes bespoke gold or silver plated cufflinks, which come in individual presentation boxes and make ideal gifts, school scarves, ties and a number of books on the history of the School.
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To purchase any of these items please visit the KES PAY section of the main school website. http://payments.kes.hants.sch.uk/shop
The King Edward VI Foundation Donating to King Edward’s
Can you help a future generation of Edwardians? Enclosed with this edition of The Edwardian, you will find a donation and direct debit form. We would ask you to consider making a small monthly donation to the King Edward VI Foundation. The Foundation raises money solely to provide
bursaries and fee support to applicants who demonstrate academic ability but whose families do not have the financial means to pay for fees. A donation of as little as £5 per month can make a big difference over time.
I feel very fortunate that I have had the opportunity to study at KES with the support of the bursary scheme. The whole experience was hugely rewarding, from the first class teaching to the varied and interesting co-curricular provision. There is a fantastic atmosphere at the school which helped me reach my true potential. I owe a huge debt to my teachers, whose dedicated support and encouragement meant so much and led to me successfully applying to read Economics & Management at the University of Oxford.
The gift of education is priceless Please join others in helping another generation of Edwardians.
I’d never have imagined I would go to a school like KES. Being given a bursary made that financially possible and I will always be incredibly grateful to KES for giving me the opportunity to spend 7 years of my life in the best school I could have hoped for. I’m now starting an Economics degree at the University of Warwick and I am hugely appreciative towards KES for giving me an amazing start in life! Luke Benton (KES 2007-2014)
Ragulan Vigneswaran (KES 2004-2011)
Remembering King Edward’s in your Will Alternatively you may prefer to support a bursary candidate by leaving a gift to the School in your Will. If you would like further information about donating to King Edward’s in this way then please contact Suzanne Hooper on 023 80 704561 or email edwardians@kes.hants.sch.uk If you are yet to draw up your Will, then in November you can have one drawn up professionally using a local solicitor who has signed up to Will Aid. Instead of paying your solicitor’s fee, you will be invited to make a donation to charity. In this way you will be supporting nine leading UK charities as well
as having the of peace mind that your Will truly reflects your wishes. For more information visit the Will Aid website on www.willaid.org.uk 15
News Snippets Harry Uglow (2008-2015) rowed at the British championships in July winning the Silver medal. He then travelled to Scotland where he became single scull Gold medallist for England at the Home Nations Regatta.
Duncan Souster (1995-2000) CEO of locally based charity The Jubilee Sailing Trust was the School’s guest at Sports Day presenting the prize winners with their cups and trophies. (pictured below)
Dr Jason Thompson (1982-1987) obtained his doctorate from the University of San Francisco in the US. He also received an outstanding dissertation award.
Curtis Crowley (2008-2015) took part in the final round of the UK Chess Challenge in August. He played six games managing to win three, placing him in the top 150 entrants in the competition.
Peter Andrews (1968-1976) was elected Chairman of the Bank of England Cricket Club for 2015.
Sophie Majoe (2008-2015) and Lucy Taylor (2013-2015) have been shortlisted for the national Salters-Nuffield Biology prize after both coming in the top three highest scoring candidates in their A2 Biology examinations. Ellie Jones (2005-2012) graduated from Oxford this year where she held the position of Senior Midshipman of the Oxford University Royal Naval Unit. She was also Vice-Captain of the University women’s water polo team, a highlight of which included a victory in the varsity match against Cambridge. Palvinder Shergill (2005-2010) has achieved a First Class Honours in Economics at Birmingham University. Lucy Smith (2002-2009) graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music with a 2:1 BMus (Hons). She will study for her Masters degree in the US with Professor Randy Gardner (former 2nd horn of Philadelphia Orchestra) at The CollegeConservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati.
Simon Coe (1987-1994) has recently been appointed Deputy Head at Wanganui Collegiate School in New Zealand where he lives with his wife Bronwen née Steer (1992-1994) and their three sons.
Rendel Ingram (1992-1999) is still running the business he set up back in 1997 whilst in Sixth Form. R. Ingram coins is one of the biggest coin dealerships in the UK and has the largest selection of UK coins online in the world. Dr Gareth Dyke (1987-1994) is currently working at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton as a palaeontologist specialising in dinosaurs.
Robert Emmerson (1967-1974) is now retired after 34 years as a Chartered Electrical Engineer with Shell in the UK and Far East. Prior to this he obtained his degree at Reading University and trained with the Courtaulds Group. He now helps his son run his restaurant in Aberdeenshire and continues to enjoy travelling having spent time living in Scotland, Malaysia and Brunei. David Hodson OBE (1965-1972) has been appointed professor at The University of Law. New professors are chosen for their eminence in their own particular specialisms reflecting David’s reputation as one of the world’s leading and innovative family lawyers. Antony Waterman (1941-1949) spoke at the annual meeting of the European Society for the History of Economic Thought, held in Rome earlier this year, for which he is an Honorary Member.
Please continue to email us with your news items on edwardians@kes.hants.sch.uk
King Edward VI School 16
Wilton Road . Southampton . Hampshire SO15 5UQ Telephone: 023 8070 4561
www.kes.hants.sch.uk