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I don't know what he did whilst in the forces, but I well remember Gilbert Swift eating lunch ( no, let's get it right - school dinner!) shortly after the end of the war. He was resplendent in his army uniform, Sam Brown belt, hair slicked down. Maybe he had visited to see if he could get his old job back? Anyway, he sat on the stage with the other masters and he looked magnificent. He did get his old job back as we all know, but PE lessons were never the same for us when he came back and Miss Griffiths had to exercise elsewhere!
Fascinating researches, Brian. So Stoker must've retired in 1965 (which is also a date cited on the retirement photo). Denis, you conjure up a fine image of Gilbert in his army uniform. Hope he didn't get sago pudding all over it!
Yes Allan, pity we only have WW1 records on Ancestry.com. WW2 will not be released for a while, they are available only to someone who can prove direct family link to whom they are searching. I dont think there are any others who may have been in WW1
It runs in my mind that someone, somewhere, told me that Fred Catley had an illustrious WW2 spent behind enemy lines in France with the Maquis. Can anyone confirm this story and maybe ('appen') expand the story? The obvious person to ask would be Spike!
I would put Stoker's retirement as early as 1961. He taught me in the 3rd year (1960-61), and I remember being disappointed (believe it or not!) that he wouldn't be available for O-level in the 4th. As things turned out, I still feel my apprehension to have been justified.
I think Brian M's recollection, of Stoker having worked as late as 1964, may be from when he returned temporarily to cover absence of the unfortunate "Ben Tren", who was incapacitated through an injury (the cause of which I don't remember). Stoker certainly taught me briefly at Oakbank ('64/'65) during Ben's recovery period.
If it's of any help to this thread, I clearly recall a number of staff retirements during, or just before, my early years at the school - including Birch (who returned, mornings only, to teach us maths in 1C), followed by Stockdale, Preston, Milton and possibly others. All of these were credited with having taught at KBGS for 40 years but, of course, we don't know their ages on retirement.
Ben Tren was knocked down by a car on one of the continental school trips he organised.
Talking of Ben, I think he had quite an interesting war, part of which was spent undercover in occupied Holland. His job was to radio home to tell the RAF which direction tank convoys were heading so the Brylcream boys could give them a good seeing to. One of the unfortunate tank crew was a chap called Harald Haupt who, after being taken prisoner, settled in Crosshills and opened a camera shop there.
Brian , I am sure I had no one else for A Level Chemmi except Stoker.
Ben Trens accident was I think in 1963 (I had been on 1962 trip), temporarily they got a guy called Jim Bamber in who was a lecturer in Bradford.
Probably the best person to go to for information about Gilbert Swift is his granddaughter, Kate Metcalfe, who is the Bookings and Events Secretary at Keighley RUFC, Skipton Road, Utley, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 6DT; email: k8-metcalfe@yahoo.co.uk
Brian - I am sure we had Ben Tren for A level chemistry in our last A level year - I can remember Bamber trying to explain electron quantum levels to me as part of atomic chemistry in the lower 6th but I'm sure Ben took over again in '64/'65. I can't remember Stoker coming back at all. Time does however dull the memory - quite frighteningly when trying to remember details of this nature!
Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1958 - 1965
In the 'photographs'' section of the website there is a reference to Stockdale's retirement in either 1961, 1962 or 1965. There is also a 'List of Masters 1961-1962' in which 'Ben' is stated as being Head of Chemistry, but there is no mention of Stockdale.
Ben was hit by a car in Namur, at the start of one of him many European escapades, so 'Stoker' could have returned on a short-term 'supply' basis as temporary cover.
In the 'photographs'' section of the website there is a reference to Stockdale's retirement in either 1961, 1962 or 1965. There is also a 'List of Masters 1961-1962' in which 'Ben' is stated as being Head of Chemistry, but there is no mention of Stockdale. As he does not appear in the List, it would appear that he must have retired at the end of the summer term in 1961.
Check the other people on the photograph of his retirement to see if anyone can place the date correctly, but I'd still go for 1961.
Ben was hit by a car in Namur, at the start of one of him many European escapades, so 'Stoker' could have returned on a short-term 'supply' basis as temporary cover.
Well it may be he came back, but I only remember Ben Tren for Gen Sci in first year, (not later for Chemistry) Then we had Hardcastle in second year then Stoker, who had me caned by Joe in Dec 1960 (3S2, before we became 3X at Easter) ! He said I was only the third boy he had had caned. Bastard ! I deserved it though.
No sign of Stoker on the 1964 panorama. If he returned to temp in 1965, that might account for Brian's recollection. All depends when Ben's accident occurred? My mental files and folders, where these memories are stored, were sadly erased when I rebooted after a recent virus.
Well, at least you got that last bit right, Brian - about deserving the cane!
Joking aside, recent contributions to this thread do seem to confirm my recollections of the chemistry teaching arrangements. My contention is that Stockdale retired in summer 1961, was replaced as Head of Chemistry (and Science) by Trenouth and that we (4X) were taught '61-'62 by a Welsh man, Jenkins, inevitably nicknamed "Taffy".
Jim Bamber (who drove in every day from Giggleswick) was no temporary secondment; in fact, he taught us to A-level before obtaining a post at Bradford University, suited to his more advanced academic leanings. We then had "Ben" in 3rd Year 6th(probably after your leaving KBGS), with Stoker as temporary cover during Ben's recovery from accident. This all seems to fit well with Brian Shuttleworth's reminiscences, too.
Things were much more straightforward in physics, having Sam Riley continuously for five years. That largely determined my choice of degree course!
I've just dug-out my old copies of 'The Keighlian' and have found the following comment:
‘At the end of this term we say farewell to Mr Stockdale who is leaving us to go into retirement after over forty years at the School.’' We wish him a long and happy retirement.’
and that is from the ‘Summer 1961’ edition of the magazine. He was also ‘Housemaster of Longsdon House’, of which you, Brian, were also a member and 'House Secretary (as I seem to remember).
‘Ben’ succeeded him and as Head of Science and was injured, in Namur, at Easter 1965, whilst leading the ‘Bavaria, Easter 1965’ trip.
Unless I have missed it, there are no comments about 'Stoker' returning to KBGS time after he retired.
Yes he was House master and I was House secretary, but I wasnt that till the 6th form, which I started in Sep 1963. I was also secretary of the School Scientific Society. But I still do not remember having anyone for Chemistry A Level other than Stockdale and maybe a few lessons with Bamber, and I took that just after we moved to Oakbank at Easter 1964. I left at Christmas that year as I had 5 unconditional uni offers from following year. That Jenkins is mystery to me !
Gilbert Swift was called up just before 1943 as my brother Peter told me he was the rugby master when he first started in 1941 . He wasn't there in 1943 and neither was Frank Wellock ,he had been conscripted before I went to the Grammar School and I remember when he came out of the forces in 1945 and Gilbert Swift too .
Yes, Mike - I imagined that the two of them would have been called up. I fancied Gilbert might've been an early entrant to the military service, but that Frank might've been later given his relative youth at the time. Wonder what they did?
I’ve just stumbled across this post (only 5 years late!).
I can fill in some of my late father’s wartime information in the interest of setting the record straight.
Frank Trenouth (known as Ben Tren at KBGS) enlisted during the first months of WW2, leaving his job as Science master at the Manor school in York.
Initially he worked on radar, specifically on the radar control of heavy guns. On one occasion he was sent to Newcastle to connect the guns of Ark Royal (which was on Tyneside for a refit) to the shore based radar. Stepping off the train in Newcastle station, he was handed a mug of tea by a pretty young WRVS volunteer who he subsequently married.
In 1942 he was seconded to SRDE (Signals Research and Development Executive) in Christchurch on the south coast where his expertise in electronics & foreign languages (he was fluent in Dutch, German, French & Italian) led to him working on captured enemy communications equipment. He was subsequently sent to occupied Holland, firstly to make observations about the German ‘Wurtzburg’ radar installations & then subsequently to track a German scientist called Dr Bluther who was attempting to build a ‘Plutonium Bomb’. On one occasion, after showing a little too much interest in a Phillips factory in Eindhoven, he was arrested by the Gestapo & interrogated by them. Fortunately he managed to pass himself off as a native Dutch worker & was released.
Following D-Day, he followed closely behind the front line checking German communications centres as well as investigating the elusive Dr Bluther & his atomic research. He took the surrender of the huge Hilversum radio station & transmitting tower from the Nazis.
By the time he was demobbed, he was an acting Major & many years later told me one of his regrets was having to destroy about a dozen Enigma machines from a cupboard in his office just prior to his return to civilian life.
Very interesting John. Thanks for that. I still credit 'Ben' with having got me interested in Chemistry in which I eventually got a degree and worked in the industry till I retired in 2012 (even though Stoker had me caned by Watthey). I owe him many thanks.