KBGS Old Boys' Forum

A place to discuss Keighley Boys' Grammar School. 


Terms of use.  Anonymous, offensive, or malicious postings will  be deleted. School-related topics only please. If you need to add a "family notice" reply to any of the current messages in that thread, and remember to change the Subject to the name of the newsworthy person.

 

 

KBGS Old Boys' Forum
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Re: What did they do in the war?

No back up? Shame on you, Allan.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1958-65

Current location (optional) Leeds

Re: What did they do in the war?

What were you caned for,Brian? Maybe a new thread: Fings wot we was caned for?

Re: What did they do in the war?

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.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1960-1967

Current location (optional) Skipton

Re: What did they do in the war?

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.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-64

Current location (optional) Wirral

Re: What did they do in the war?

Who? Stoker, Watthey or Ben Tren?

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1958-65

Current location (optional) Leeds