HORRIS HILL - 2014
Old Boys’ Newsletter
Welcome to the 2014 Horris Hill OB newsletter in a year that marks the centenary of the start of the Great War
from 1914-18. Over the next 5 years there will be an opportunity to bring to mind Horris Hill OB who gave
their lives in the service of their country. In this edition we also feature the academic success of the past year
and focus on a number of areas of the school which have received a much needed facelift. Finally we were
delighted that Jimmy Stow managed to visit the school this year, having been unable to attend the 125th
anniversary celebrations.
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Academic Success
2014 has been a vintage year for academic success at
Horris Hill. From a leaving group of 23 boys we
secured 4 major scholarships and one exhibition.
Eton College will welcome Sanjay Singh as a new
King’s Scholar. Winchester College will welcome
scholars Oluruntele Agusto, Wladyslaw Janczuk and
Adedamola Odeyemi, while Jude Smithers was
awarded an exhibition. All the boys in the leaving
year who sat the Common Entrance examinations
passed well with some impressive grades and gained
entry to the school of their choice.
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The Swimming Pool
The refurbishment of the swimming pool was
completed during the winter months and has
warmth in and the heating bills low. The entire
pool infrastructure was replaced and the new plant
enjoyed its first season. The quirky wooden
changing area has been retained but the pool itself
has been lined and lane markings have been
applied. It now boasts 4 starting blocks, racing
lanes and a solar cover which helps to keep the
room houses all the key equipment including
automatic chlorination. A spectator area has been
built which provides some protection from summer
downpours. Finally the new pool surround adds a
dramatic colour and texture to the pool enclosure.
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The Maclure Room
For some years the archive room was tucked away
upstairs adjacent to the bursary and was in dire
need of a refresh. During a recent reorganisation it
was decided to create a new archive room
downstairs close to the reception area. The room
has been named the Maclure Room after Patrick
Maclure (47-52) who retired this year from the
Governing Body. Patrick has been a boy, old boy,
teacher, bursar and governor of Horris Hill, a
unique contribution over 67 years.
The Maclure Room is nicely appointed and contains
book shelves with a mass of historical information
and photograph albums. Oak display cabinets are
being manufactured and once installed will contain
a wide range of mementos. Jimmy Stow’s excellent
butterfly and moth collection was found in a corner
of the archive room and is also available to view.
The most unusual piece of furniture on display is a
bed divider, complete with names scratched on it
by boys, including one who went on to become a
Conservative Member of the European Parliament
from 1989-1999. The history and development of
the school is traced through the eras of the 8 former
headmasters in a series of large framed posters
which some OB will have seen at the open day
celebrating the 125th anniversary of the school last
year.
We hope OB will enjoy spending time in this room
when they come to visit the school in future years,
perhaps at the annual Open Day held in June.
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The Evans Room
Adjacent to the Maclure Room is the Evans Room
named after the founder of Horris Hill. This room
has been completely renovated and is made
available for current parents, prospective parents
and visitors to gather and to meet the headmaster,
staff and each other. Among the furnishings is an
old style desk, with an ink well, at which potential
pupils accompanying their parents can sit and leaf
through a photo album containing pictures of how a
classroom used to be!
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The Bell Tower
Horris Hill is proud of its bell tower which has
stood on the headmaster’s roof since 1888. Over
the years boys have reacted to the urgent pulling of
the bell chord by a member of staff exhorting them
to cease their outdoor adventures or games of
Prisoners’ Base and return to school for assembly,
or for those with good hearing to vacate Spain. A
recent inspection revealed that all was not well
with the bell tower. The bell was put out of use and
hand bells have rung out in the interim. As part of
work to replace the roof over the headmaster’s
house, which included replacing rotten timbers and
treating some long resident woodworm, the bell
tower was replaced by an identical structure. A
design engineer, who specialises in bell towers,
arrived and many photographs were taken and
drawings made to ensure that we have a
functioning bell tower fit to replace the original.
The new bell tower is not quite finished as I write
but the before and after photographs speak
volumes!
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Visit by Jimmy Stow
We were surprised and delighted when Jimmy
Stow (28-29) and Headmaster from 1965 to 1978
paid a visit to school on 25 September 2014.
Accompanied by his nurse and in gloriously warm,
sunny weather he spent a very pleasant hour with
us. He visited the main school building looking at
some of the improvements in the dining room and
the library. We then went to the Maclure Room
where he was reunited with his butterfly collection,
which he was surprised we still possessed. He
remarked that he hadn’t seen it for over 30 years.
During the visit he met with headmaster Giles Tollit
and also Felix Beardmore-Gray and Mark
Wiesendanger, the two longest serving members of
the current teaching staff. The visit ended with a
viewing of the refurbished swimming pool.
It was a particular pleasure to see Jimmy Stow at
school again as he was disappointed not to be with
us all for the 125th anniversary last year. We hope
that he will be able to visit us again from his home
in Sutton Scotney.
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Remembering Horris Hill OB – 1914
Significant numbers of Horris Hill Old Boys took
part in the Great War and paid with their lives. For
many it was an adventure and there was of course
peer pressure to take part and ‘do one’s bit’. The
harsh and brutal realities of war were unknown to
this generation. Modern weaponry of the day had
overtaken the tactics which were available to
senior commanders who in the beginning were
slow to react or unable to adapt. The consequential
loss of life on both sides was extreme from those
first engagements on the Western Front. Into such
an environment came former pupils of Horris Hill
along with thousands from similar schools across
the land.
The British Expeditionary Force landed in France
and Flanders in August 1914 to fight a war that
many thought would be over by Christmas. The
culmination of the battles that year was the (first)
Battle of Ypres.
The following former pupils lost their lives during
1914 in the first 4 months of the war:
The first OB to succumb was Mark Kincaid
Mackenzie (1897-1901), who went on to
Winchester. Mark was a Lieutenant in the 4th
Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps and was on home
leave from India when the war broke out. He went
to the front immediately with 3rd Battalion the Rifle
Brigade. He was killed in action during the Battle of
Langemarck and is buried in Plot E2-7 in the Ypres
Town Cemetery. There is also a memorial in his
memory in his home town of Newtown, Powys.
Lawrence Peel (1894-1897) was commissioned
on 10th October 1903 into the Yorkshire Regiment.
At the outbreak of the
war he was a Captain
in the 2nd Battalion.
He was appointed
Officer Commanding
7th Division Cyclist
Company.
He was
killed on 23 October
1914 while leading
his cyclist company on a night attack during the
Battle of Langemarck. He is remembered on Panel
33 at the Menin Gate in Ypres.
Brigade. He was killed at the Battle of the Aisne
Heights on 25 September 1914 while leading his
platoon on a night attack on the German position
near Soupir, northeast of Soissons..
He fell
wounded but got up and continued to cheer his
men on until he fell again close to the enemy
trenches. He is buried in the Montcornet Military
Cemetery.
Gerald Sclater Ingram (1901-1903) who also
went on to Winchester, died on 21 October 1914.
Gerald was a Lieutenant
in the 1st Battalion the
Queen’s (Royal West
Surrey) Regiment. He
joined them in South
Africa in April 1914 and
returned to England at
the outbreak of war in
time to join 7th Division.
He was killed in action
at Zonnebeke during the
Battle of Langemarck.
He is remembered on Panels 11-13 and 14 at the
Menin Gate in Ypres.
Eric Lawrence Talbot (1894-1897) died on 23
October 1914. He was a Lieutenant in ‘C’ Battery
the Royal Horse Artillery which was part of 14th
Ellis Robert Cunliffe Stone (1902-1905) who
went on to Malvern College and the Royal Military
College Sandhurst died on 26 October 1914. Ellis
was a Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion (23rd Foot)
Royal Welsh Fusiliers and died of his wounds
following the Battle of Langemarck.
His CO
described him as “... one of the finest officers I have
ever had under my command. He was absolutely
fearless and dashing to a degree. He behaved with
exceptional gallantry, and handled his men with
great skill on the Marne. I had every intention of
sending in a special report on him on account of the
excellent work he did on several occasions.” He is
buried in the Pont-Du-Hem Military Cemetery, La
Gorgue.
John William Harford Nicholl (1902-1906) died
on 29 October 1914. John was a 2nd Lieutenant in
the 2nd Battalion, The Welsh Regiment. He was
killed in action during the Battle of Gheluvelt and is
remembered on Panel 37 at the Menin Gate in
Ypres.
Colin Frederick Fitzroy Campbell (1890-1891)
also died on 29 October 1914. Only at Horris Hill
for a short time, he went on to Stubbington and
Haileybury. He was commissioned in 1901 and
Aubrey Ulick Marshall O’Brien (1892-1893) who
went on to St Columba’s, Dublin was a Captain in
the Royal Field Artillery with 39th Brigade. He died
of his wounds on 1 November 1914 following the
Battle of Gheluvelt and is remembered on Panels 5
and 9 at the Menin Gate in Ypres.
Robert Giffard (1893-1897) died on 1 November
1914. Robert went on to Marlborough, was
commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1903 and
as a Lieutenant was aide-de-camp to Major General
Lomax. He was promoted to Captain in October
1914. On 31 October 1914, at the climax of the First
Battle of Ypres, Divisional headquarters at Hooge
was hit by enemy shellfire, whereupon the
Divisional Commander (Major General Lomax) was
severely wounded and among others killed, Captain
Giffard died of his wounds the next day and is
buried in the Ypres Town Cemetery.
Ronald Mosse Macdonald (1900-1904) was born
in Bombay on 9 December 1890. After Horris Hill,
he went on to Winchester followed by the Royal
Military College, Sandhurst. Ronald obtained his
commission into the 1st Battalion, The Queen’s Own
Cameron Highlanders in November 1910. His
joined the Scots Guards in 1905. He was Adjutant
of the Guards Depot at Caterham from 1911-1913
and was promoted Captain on the day he was killed
in action during the Battle of Gheluvelt. He is
remembered on Panel 11 at the Menin Gate in
Ypres.
Harold Osborne Powell (1901-1903) died on 31
October 1914. Harold went on to Winchester and
was a 2nd Lieutenant in the 4th (Royal Irish)
Dragoon Guards. He was shot by a sniper while
delivering a message for his commanding officer
during the Battle of Messines, a part of the first
Battle of Ypres. He is remembered on Panels 3-5 at
the Menin Gate in Ypres.
father had been a Captain in the 3rd Battalion. He
was the battalion signalling officer and was
promoted to Lieutenant as the battalion left
Edinburgh Castle on 12 August 1914.
He was
wounded at the Battle of the Aisne on 14
September 1914. On that occasion, though seriously
injured himself, he returned under heavy fire to
rescue a brother officer who was lying wounded
and unable to move. He recovered and rejoined his
battalion on 8 October 1914. He fell in action on 2
November 1914 at Veldhoek, near Ypres during the
battle of Gheluvelt. Of the 25 officers who left
Edinburgh with him in August, he was the last one
to fall. He died of his wounds on 3 November 1914
and is remembered on Panels 38 and 40 at the
Menin Gate in Ypres.
Neil McNeill (1904-1907) died on 11 November
1914. (See right)
Ian Maclean Macandrew (1901-1905), who went
on to Winchester and New College, Oxford, was a
Lieutenant in the 1st Battalion the Seaforth
Highlanders. At the outbreak of the war he was in
India with his battalion which was part of the Dehra
Dun Brigade of the Meerut Division of the Indian
Army. They left Agra on 21 September 1914 and
arrived in Marseille on 12 October 1914. He was
wounded on 6 November 1914. He died on 25
December 1914 following the defence of Givenchy
during the winter operations to consolidate
positions after the Battle of Ypres. His platoon was
completely isolated in the course of a German
attack, and though unsupported he held on to his
position, rallying men of other units, and driving
the enemy out of the section of trenches just
occupied by them. He fell while on his way to obtain
reinforcements. In a letter written in 1915 by
command of H.M. the King it was stated that had Mr
Macandrew survived, he would have been
recommended for a special distinction for his
gallant services. He had been twice mentioned in
Despatches. He is remembered on Panels 38 and
39 at the Le Touret Memorial in Pas de Calais.
------In November James Macdonald (45-49) contacted
the school to enquire after his uncle Ronald Mosse
Macdonald and we were able to provide some
information and a photograph which was obtained
only the previous day for this newsletter! (See
previous page). Ronald’s brother Stuart Hugh
Macdonald (1902-1906) also attended HH as did
Stuart’s sons James and Hugh John Macdonald
(47-52).
------Also in November, a few days before Remembrance
Day, John Roskill (44-48) enquired after the fate
of Neil McNeill, his mother’s first cousin, wondering
if there was any information in the HH archives.
Although there was no information in the archives,
the internet yielded a surprising amount of
information.
Neil McNeill was born in Yokohama, Japan on 18
April 1894 and after Horris Hill went on the
Charterhouse and Hertford College, Oxford. He was
commissioned into the 1st Battalion, The Black
Watch (Royal Highlanders) as a 2nd Lieutenant on 8
July 1914 and was stationed around Aldershot at
the start of the Great War. His battalion formed
part of 1st Brigade and 1st Division within Earl
Haig’s 1st Corps. They crossed to France landing at
Le Havre on 14 August 1914. Spared any great
involvement in the initial skirmishes and the early
battles of the ‘first’ Battle of Ypres, they were in the
line during the final set piece battle of Nonne
Bosschen on 11 November 1914. Neil McNeill lost
his life on that poignant date. He was killed in
action near Polygon Wood, 'last seen on the parapet
of his trench, revolver in hand, fighting gallantly to
the end with all his men'. Sadly and like so many
who died, his remains were not recovered. He was
officially posted as missing and it would appear
that his death was not confirmed until November
1916 when short obituaries appeared in the ‘Times’
and the ‘Scotsman’. However, he is remembered on
Panel 37 at the Menin Gate in Ypres (pictured
below).
John and Sue Roskill plan to visit the Somme
battlefields in 2016 to trace another family member
and will now be able to visit the Menin Gate and see
Neil’s name alongside those of his comrades.
Future editions of this newsletter will follow the
path trodden by Horris Hill OB during the later
years of the Great War.
(All the information in this section on the Great War
has been uncovered through open source material
including, ancestry.com, the Commonwealth War
Graves Commission and regimental histories. Dates
are tied into the battles in which the battalions and
regiments fought. Accuracy is important, so any
corrections to the information presented here or
further information on any OB would be gratefully
received. Ed.)
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Obituaries
We are sorry to report the loss of the following OB listed in order of their dates at Horris Hill:
Archibald Douglas McNeil Boyd (27-31) died on
4 April 2014 in France. Archie Boyd went on to
Harrow School and Trinity College, Oxford, where
he served with the University Air Squadron from
January 1938. He was called up in October 1939.
After training, he was posted to No. 600 Squadron
where he became a night fighter, flying
Beaufighters. By March 1942 he and his radar
operator had claimed five victories. After a posting
as Squadron Leader Night Training he was given
command of No. 219 Squadron in March 1943.
Having installed an improved radar, the unit was
despatched to the Mediterranean to provide cover
for convoys crossing the sea to invade Sicily. He
returned to the UK in February 1944 and ended his
second tour in August, going to HQ Fighter
Command as Wing Commander Night Operations
until April 1945. He ended the war with 10
confirmed victories. He was released from the RAF
in February 1946. He then worked with Vickers
Armstrong as a test pilot and went on to become an
engineer, working on nuclear submarines. He
subsequently became Assistant Sales Manager and
rose to Chief Executive in 1961. He retired in 1981.
(A full obituary can be found in the Daily Telegraph).
Ian Trelawny Morshead (31-35) who went on to
Winchester College died on 16 August 2014.
Richard John Gould (31-35) who went on to
Winchester College died on 7 June 2014.
Charles Edward Weatherby (41-45) who went on
to Winchester College died on 9 January 2014.
Michael Dacres Butler (36-40) died on 24
December 2013. Sir Michael Butler GCMG went on
to Winchester College and Trinity College,
Cambridge before joining the Foreign Service in
1950 and serving in New York, Baghdad, Paris and
Washington. From 1972 to 1985 he was associated
with Britain and its role in Europe. Having been the
head of the FCO’s European Integration department
as the UK joined the EEC, he later became the UK
Permanent Representative in Brussels and was a
key advisor to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher,
negotiating the terms of Britain’s EU rebate. (A full
obituary can be found in the Daily Telegraph).
Peter Robin Kirwan-Taylor (38-43) died on 1
March 2014. Peter Kirwan-Taylor went on to
Winchester College. He was an accountant by
profession but is well known for being responsible
for designing the body of the Lotus Elite. (A full
obituary can be found in the Daily Telegraph).
Michael William Leggatt (39-44) who went on to
Winchester College died on 29 December 2013.
Augustine Christopher Caradoc Courtauld (4347) died on 11 January 2014. The Reverend
Augustine Courtauld went on to Eton College. He
founded the Ocean Youth Club in 1960 using the
family’s Edwardian Cruiser/Racer ‘Duet’ to provide
sail training for young people for the next 35 years.
He was chairman of the Augustine Courtauld Trust,
a charity founded by his father in 1956 with the aim
of supporting disadvantaged young people and
supporting Arctic and Antarctic expeditions. (A full
obituary can be found in the Daily Telegraph).
Richard Henry Glenn Allen (46-50) died on 8
January 2014.
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Reminiscences
We receive occasional correspondence from OB
with reminiscences from their time at Horris Hill.
In a note to Jimmy Stow, Martin Snow (54-59)
mentions inter alia “Rossini’s “Thieving Magpie”
which you used to put (among other music) on the
Horris Wood loudspeaker system; cold baths; Mr
Brown’s smelly pipe; the art teacher, the beautiful
Miss Hutton; enjoying Malt extract once a week on a
large spoon administered by Matron; meals in the
dining room (I’m afraid I still cannot eat treacle
tart!); snake buckle belts; the weekly Eagle Comic
sent from home; scratchy football shirts”.
I am sure that some of these images linger in the
minds of OB of a similar age. We do value your
anecdotes as they illuminate school life over time
through your experiences.
Any more recent
memories from some of our younger OB would be
most welcome too.
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Current OB News
Nicholas Carter (67-72)
General Sir Nicholas
Carter, late RGJ, became Chief of the General Staff
(CGS) in September 2014 in succession to General
Sir Peter Wall, late RE. Announcing the appointment
in February 2014, the Defence Secretary Philip
Hammond said: "I look forward to working with Sir
Nicholas as we deliver our programme of reforms
to create a leaner, more efficient Ministry of
Defence and more agile, adaptable Armed Forces”.
Ian Maclure (42-47) and his wife Jane celebrated
their Golden Wedding at Horris Hill on 16 August
2014, with over 150 people in attendance.
Marquees were set up on Lower Field near the
Music School. The following OB attended: Patrick
Maclure (47-52), Mark Maclure (74-78), Tom
Maclure (76-78), Robbie King-Clark (59-64),
John Hodgkinson (51-56), Rodney Hall (53-57)
and John Roskill (44-48). Mary Stow was also
present. Twelve former staff attended including
Malcolm Innes (78-96), David Winther (65-00),
Rupert Godsal (77-97), Julia Brown (nee Blakiston)
(59-61), Anita Syers-Gibson (nee Gilbert) (65-69),
David Beach (70-07) and Audrey Beach (nee
Barwood) (69-02).
We will always be pleased to receive more OB news covering life at senior school, while on your Gap year and
at university, career moves and of course family events. If you would like to make a contribution to the 2015
edition in words and/or photographs please send the information to [email protected].
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Our Newest OB
See below for the details of our most recent OB who left Horris Hill for senior public schools in the UK in July
2014. We hope they will stay in touch with HH during their time in further education and in later life, and we
wish them well in their new schools:
Oloruntele Agusto (12-14) – Winchester
Joseph Odogwu (12-14) – Charterhouse
Freddie Armstrong (11-14) – Radley
Beetle O’Kelly (09-14) – Radley
Oliver Bashall (10-14) – Marlborough
Jude Ongko (12-14) – Milton Abbey
Nicholas Brown (08-14) – Eton
Sanjay Singh (08-14) – Eton
Archie Butler (11-14) – Cheltenham
Isaac Smith (09-14) – Harrow
Patrick Colborne-Malpas (12-14) – Bryanston
Jude Smithers (11-14) – Winchester
Harry Denison-Smith (09-14) – Monmouth
Jock Stancer (11-14) – Radley
George Egerton (10-14) – Marlborough
Henry Stratton (10-14) – Radley
Max Gill (09-14) – Eton
Harry Vaughan-Johnson (12-14) – Marlborough
Rory Henry (10-14) – Radley
Drake Wong (11-14) – Eton
Wladyslaw Janczuk (11-14) – Winchester
Savva Zaytsev (12-14) - Stowe
Adedamola Odeyemi (12-14) – Winchester
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Recent Arrivals
The varied menagerie at Horris Hill continues to
grow with the arrival this autumn of seven
Southdown sheep which are owned by our assistant
grounds man. As you can imagine they have proved
popular with the boys and the sheep are enjoying
fresh pasture on Fisher’s Field.
The School also has six hens which have been with
us for over a year and during the summer term we
hosted two pigs, although this was a temporary
arrangement!
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Keeping in Touch through 2015
We hope you enjoyed reading this annual newsletter to help keep you in touch with your school. We continue
to build up our OB community and many now receive the newsletter electronically. If you are in touch with
your circle of school chums and know of some who are not in contact with the school, do please pass on this
newsletter and encourage them to keep in touch with us. We have added and updated nearly 100 OB contacts
this year.
There are other ways of keeping in touch:
Website. The school website www.horrishill.com is being rebuilt and will be launched in spring term 2015.
Visit the latest news tab to see the new front page. There will be a section relating to OB which will be
developed over time. We will be publishing the OB newsletter and back copies in this section.
Facebook. The school has a Facebook group (Horris Hill Old Boys) which you may join if you wish. Felix
Beardmore-Gray administers this closed group which currently has 30-40 members.
Twitter. You can also follow the school on Twitter https://twitter.com/HorrisHill
Finally, may we wish you all a happy Christmas and a peaceful, healthy and successful 2015.