The Lost Boys

Our original war memorial, on our Junior playground, dates from just after the Second World War.

On it, thirty three names were engraved, and at the time, every effort was made to include those pupils and staff who had died in the two greatest conflicts of the Twentieth Century.

The make-up of the names on our memorial is roughly half First World War and half Second World War. Of the former, the majority served in the British Army, mostly volunteers, commissioned into ‘County’ regiments, from their public school OTCs and some Naval cadets, who served in marine battalions which fought at the Front.

Those from the Second World War were more likely to be ‘professional’ career soldiers, fighting in Europe, North Africa or with the Indian Army in the Far East (with the fall of Singapore).

A good number joined the Royal Airforce, serving with bomber or fighter command over Holland, Germany, Italy or the former Yugoslavia. Some were also in the Navy or Fleet Air Arm.

F.K.Philips’ name was added after the Second World War, as he was killed whilst serving with the Royal Airforce and his family wanted him remembered at school.
We don’t, however, know exactly when his name was added.

Subsequently, at the request of relatives, three more names; M.A.Simon and H.W.M Schofield from the First War and D.E. F Powell from the Second, have been added, in the last fifteen years.

By chance, our headmaster, Dominic Price, was tidying the school’s archive material when he found an old photograph album and a previously forgotten scrapbook that had originally been given to the Price Family in 1988, by Edward Pearce, who had been born at Merton Court in 1900 and was the son of Merton Court’s founder J.W.E Pearce (The Pearce family ran the school from 1899 to 1921).

Upon closer examination, the scrap book had tantalising shreds of complete and incomplete original press cuttings and notes, in J.W.E.’s spidery handwriting, from the period 1914-19, but time had not been kind to the pages.

The passage of ninety years had faded the pages of print, making the paper brittle and the articles difficult to read.

However, new names and information contained therein, suggested that the research into the original school memorial had perhaps not included all past pupil casualties from the two wars.

It was then that the detective work began in earnest.

-first one, then three, then more names-

Names which when crosschecked with the war memorials of Chislehurst, Footscray and also Sidcup, were proven to be past pupils.

And so it was, that the idea of the ‘Lost Boys’ project began.

Local Historian Yvonne Auld, along with S4 (YR 6) pupils, began to piece together further clues from Census documents and local papers, in the early 1900’s, along with information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Imperial War museum.

Thanks to that incredible invention, the Internet, details of past Merton Court pupils was made so much easier to source than perhaps even five or ten years ago.

Sifting through various ‘leads’ both Mr Chris Price and Mr Dominic Price made fascinating discoveries about past pupils’ service histories and searched for their individual stories, trying to find lives and faces for those brave souls whose names we walk past every day in the playground.

In all nine names of pupils who attended the school prior to the First World War (but whose names were not on our original memorial) were discovered.

Who knows if there are more names out there….

In conjunction with the Sidcup Branch of the British Legion, in commemoration of their 90th Anniversary, a new school memorial stone was commissioned, with the names of nine newly discovered ‘Lost Boys’ engraved upon it.

In 2014 we commemorated the start of the Great War (1914-1918) and also added the name of the prolific artist Rex Whistler, who was killed in action in 1944, to our school memorial.

Merton Court Memorial Garden and Via Sacra 2015

The Merton Court Memorial Garden opened on the 6th November with a service to commemorate former pupils who had served and lost their lives in the First World War.

Designed by Phil Paton and Julia Keem, the garden has a winding path that leads through twenty two birch trees, with luminous white bark, each one representing a fallen soldier. The trees were suggested by the Headmaster after Year 5 trips to France with the school. They represent re-growth, with the path leading through the trees, creating a feeling of hope.

The new path also provides access up what was steep, muddy waste ground, to what is now a beautiful stone terrace, wide steps and a lawned area where pupils and teachers can sit, enjoy free time or have lessons. This path connects to the hall and our Foundation Stage classrooms to a quiet Astroturf area providing outdoor space for our Year 1 children.

Shaded woodland planting and bulbs provide interest through the school calendar and attract wildlife. Tall grasses create screens and movement, so children will be excited to see what is behind the next corner.

In 2015, each of the six Old Mertonians who lost their lives a century ago in World War One, were commemorated with a personal plaque. The remaining sixteen OMs on our WW1 school roll of honour will receive a commemorative plaque each, over the next five years.

Phil Paton and Julia Keem graduated from the University of Greenwich in 2012 with degrees in Garden Design and work in London and the South East. Phil Paton also maintains the gardens at Merton Court. Mayfair Construction built the garden with past pupil, Nigel Henry as site manager.

juliakeem@gmail.com
phil.paton@hotmail.co.uk

RFU WW1 Commemoration Articles

Commemoration Articles

Please look in particular at a former Merton Court Pupil Robert Lawrence Pillman along with details of the other 26 fallen England rugby players from the first world war.

Merton Court Roll of Honour

World War One

In 2018, Dominic Price finalised and completed the World War One History Section of our ‘Lost Boys Project’, telling the stories of the 22 ‘boys’ who had lost their lives from 1915 to 1920.

Following on from this, Dominic Price commissioned Ellie Grigsby (a historical researcher), to continue the search for further information on the 26 past pupils who gave their lives in willing sacrifice, from 1940 to 1944.

Along with continued research by Year 5 children, Dominic Price brought together all the strands of research in readiness for publication, as part of our 125th Anniversary celebrations in 2024/2025.

On the 8th November 2024, on the occasion of our Remembrance Service, ‘The Lost Boys of World War Two’ was published as a book (and also a virtual book on our School website).

This completes the fascinating research work undertaken by our School Community.  We recognise that our ‘Lost Boys’ stories remain incomplete and possibly inaccurate, so please if you recognise any of these names on our two Rolls of Honour, please do contact the school. We would be delighted to hear from you.