The Home Front in WW1 Forest Gate - through the eyes of Godwin school

This is the third of a series of posts based on the school log of Godwin School, from 1883 - 1984, providing a fascinating, worms' eye view of the development of the local area.

See here for details of the first post and a background to this series of articles.

Godwin school in 1973

This article, in particular, highlights:

• Deaths of former Godwin pupils during the conflict;

• assistance Godwin pupils gave to the war effort;

• how war-induced fuel and food shortages impacted on Forest Gate;

• impact of air raids on the district;

• attempts to provide "business as usual" in the school;

• the impact of the great flu epidemic on Godwin.

1 Sep 1914 Sent a large parcel of magazines brought by the boys for men of the fleet. ...  Received an intimation that Thomas Pascoe, an old Godwin Road boy went down in the Amphion (ed:a British cruiser, and early WW1 victim.  Sunk in Thames estuary on 6 August, with 1 officer and 131 ratings killed).

HMS Amphion, photographed in 1911

Artist's impression of HMS Amphion being
 sunk by a German mine in August 1914

9 Sep 1914 Sent off a box of gifts for the Expedition Force today, to Southampton Docks.

8 Oct 1914 The master engaged in an educational chat with Standard 6 upon the real causes and inwardness of the war. Emphasised the importance of fidelity to treaties in national life and to one's word in individual life.

9 Nov 1914 In response to a request by the master that each boy should ask to bring one potato for the Belgians. about 4 bushels of excellent specimens have been brought. (ed: a bushel is a measure of about 8 gallons or 32 litres).

10 Nov 1914 The potatoes were dispatched this morning and they will go to H--- during the week.

16 Nov 1914 Today most of the boys have brought some sugar for the Belgian refugees.

18 Nov 1914 Sent off sugar to Lady Bennett for the Belgian refugees.

27 Nov 1914 The funds obtained by the staff and boys for Christmas puddings to the men in France and the fleet was closed today. Three pounds 17 shillings was obtained and sent to the Daily News.

17 Feb 1915 No fires in school today, because of a shortage of fuel.

13 Apr 1915 This is an interesting day. It is 30 years today since Godwin school was opened. ... Nearly 5,000 boys have entered in this period and 180 old boys have joined the colours.

31 May 1915 Received intelligence that Pte AD Eady was killed in action on 5 May and Albert Phimmer on 9 May.

8 Sep 1915 An aeroplane descended on the Flats this morning and remained the whole day. This proved a very strong attraction for the mothers and the children, so that the afternoon attendance suffered very considerably.

Stratford Express with only vague
 coverage of the air raid attacks referred
 to above - dated 15 September 1915

4 Oct 1915 Arthur Burrell, Standard 5, was present and quiet as usual on Friday died suddenly on Saturday at home. The inquest is being held this afternoon. News has come to hand that Douglas Home was killed in the great advance last week. He was in the London Scottish Regiment and went to France in March.

7 Oct 1915 Arthur Burrell was buried today. A wreath was sent from the school and about 40 boys who belong to the Scouts attended to pay their respect to the dead comrade.

15 Oct 1915 The Zeppelin raids on Wednesday night kept many from getting proper rest and in consequence the boys could not attend the next day.

23 Feb 1916 At prize giving the master called attention to ... upwards of 300 Old Boys had joined the colours. He further called the boys attention to those who had fallen in action, as follows: Pte A Eady, 7th City of London Rifles, killed 5 May 1915; Quarter Master Sgt Robert Sere ... killed in action; Pte Cecil Wheeler, Seaforth Highlanders, killed 15 June 1915; Pte Douglas Macgregor, Home London Scottish, killed Sep 1915; Pte Arthur Parker, Australian Contingent, killed on the Gallipoli peninsular, 10 August; Pte Walt Lewis Gilbert, 2/4 Battn Royal Fusiliers, killed 8 Dec at the Dardanelles; Pte Reggie Wagstaffe, 5th City of London Rifles, killed May 1915 in France; Sgt John Rasmussen (ed: see 3 Apr 1913, in earlier post), Rifle Brigade, killed 24 May 1915; Pte Alf Jameson, 8th Battery Somerset Light Infantry, reported missing; Pte Bert Plummer, 2nd Middlesex Reg, killed 9 May; Rifleman Fred Stanley, 12th London Reg, killed in action 27 Apr at St Julien; Sgt Edward King, Bedfordshire Reg, killed in action France 17 Jan 1916.

3 May 1916 The tercentenary of Shakespeare's death was celebrated today. In the afternoon the 7th Standard went through the trial scene of The Merchant of Venice in character.

24 May 1916 Some slight variations have been made in the nature of the lessons today in order to bring the 'British Empire' idea before the scholars. In the afternoon, after play, the classes assembled in the playground. Several of the classes sang suitable songs and the school, the national anthem. Three cheers were given for the king and also the 'Old Godwin Boys' in the area.

2 Oct 1916 The attendance has been considerably affected by the Zeppelin raid, which kept so many up the greater part of the night ... The school hours are altered from today until further notice. They are 9 to 11.45 and 1.15 to 3.30.

Zeppelin of the kind that raided London in 1916

19 Oct 1916 Several Jew boys are absent today in consequence of a Jewish festival.

Earlham Grove synagogue, where many of
the Jewish boys would have visited on this day

16 Feb 1917 Several coats have been missed during the last 10 days. It has been reported to the clerk and the police have been notified with a description of the garments.

15 Mar 1917 The detective officer called to say he has been unable to trace any of the lost coats.

13 Jun 1917 An air raid occurred this morning at 11.35. The boys behaved with coolness and self control. As the hostile aircraft made off the master considered the best thing to do was to get the boys distributed and sent them home at 11.40 before the craft returned.

5 Sep 1917 The attendance has been affected today owing to the air raid in the district and over London last night, from 11.25 to 1.59, when the all clear was given.

Censorship was alive and well during WW1.
This was the Stratford Express's account
 of the raids noted in the school log,
 above - dated 8 September 1917.
  So vague as to be useless.

25 Sep 1917 The raid last night has kept several away and others are going away.

More vague, uninformative, censored
 coverage in the Stratford Express
 of 26 September, "covering"
 the raids referred to, above.

11 Jan 1918 Considering the severity of the weather, the difficulties of shopping owing to shortage, the attendance has been good this week - 91.7% It is very difficult to get punctuality as many of the boys are out in search of articles of food before coming to school.

25 Jan 1918 The food queues are proving a great drawback to punctuality and regularity.

29 Jan 1918 Owing to an air raid which lasted on and off for some hours last night, a great many boys are absent today. The warning was given about 8 and the all clear was not sounded till after one o'clock.

31 May 1918 A very interesting letter has been received by the master from an old scholar Mr WJ Matthews ... I have been in the civil service for the last twelve years. As a result of my labours, I have been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire.

4 Oct 1918 Mr Rowland, student teacher, left today. He has now joined the air force.

18 Oct 1918 The attendance this week has been the lowest since records began, 55.6% This is due to an influenza epidemic that is sweeping many districts (ed: this would have been the 1918 - 1920 flu pandemic, which current estimates suggest killed between 50m and 100m, worldwide - between 3% and 6% of the entire global population.  The total number of people killed in WW1, by comparison, is estimated at 17million - somewhere between a third and a sixth of the deaths from the flu pandemic). Claude King, Standard 3, died on Wednesday.

11 Nov 1918 The armistice was signed this morning at 5 o'clock and fighting ceased at eleven. The school did not meet in the afternoon.

7 Jan 1919 Mr CH Rowland student teacher now discharged from the RAF, resumed work this morning. 

Godwin School ( boys ) log 2 - Godwin and Forest Gate pre WW1 (1900 - 1914)

This is the second of a series of posts based on the school log of Godwin School, from 1883 - 1984, providing a fascinating, worms' eye view of the development of the local area.

Godwin school in 1973

See here for details of the first post and a background to this series of articles.

This article, in particular, highlights:

• Great successes achieved by the school in both Music (nationally and internationally) and football (London, and Essex-wide);

• how Godwin pupils and Forest Gate people, more generally, responded to national and international events;

• significant achievements made by some former Godwin pupils;

• continued praise for the school and its record, by HMIs.

2 Mar 1900 The school was closed today, to celebrate the relief of Ladysmith (ed: significant development in the Boer War).

Contemporary painting of the Relief of Ladysmith

26 Mar 1900 The school choir competed at the Stratford Musical Festival this evening. The choir was successful in gaining 1st prize.

16 May 1900 The attendance was greatly suffered today in consequence of a Patriotic Procession taking place in Forest Gate.(ed: This procession was to whip up jingoistic fervour for the Boer War. The Stratford Express covered it at length, the extract below was published in advance of the procession, forewarning its readers of it.  The extract below mentions that the procession was to go through the streets of Forest Gate on the evening of the publication and Stratford the following evening. It would feature 157 cars - some displaying arms, other tableau with such names as "Home at Mafeking", "Britannia and South Africa", "Men in khaki " and "Camp Life". Three days afterwards  the paper devoted two thirds of a broadsheet page to coverage of the procession.  This is worthy of an article in its own right, and we will return to it in a later article). 

Stratford Express
16 May 1900

21 May 1900 The school was closed today, to celebrate the Relief of Mafeking. (ed: significant development in the Boer War).

1 Feb 1901 In accordance with Board instructions, the master gave a lesson to each section today on the life of the late Queen Victoria. School closed this afternoon, by order of the Board, in consequence of the funeral.

1 Oct 1901 18 years today, this school begun in a temporary building.

5 Jun 1902 The Board has given a holiday to celebrate the peace between this country and the Transvaal. (ed: end of the Boer War).

31 Oct 1902 The master left at 2.30 to attend the stone laying of school for defective children at Grange Road. (ed: now Grange Road Special school, opened for "disabled children" as a project by the Canning Town Women's Settlement).

27 Nov 1902 School closed at noon, by order of the Board, on account of the Shakespearean Bazaar at the Town hall Stratford, in aid of the West Ham hospital.

8 Feb 1905 HMI report This school is well organised and under very good influence. The teaching is careful and thorough, producing much accurate and intelligent work.

24 Feb 1905 Boys cautioned re getting on or near the tram cars.

27 Feb 1905 The boys were very jubilant today. The school football team won their match against Eltringham Street, the champions of South London in the Dewar Shield competition on Saturday. (ed: This was the London Schools championship shield, for football. It is still competed for today, as a trophy for year 10 pupils).

15 May 1905 The district football shield returned to this school today, for last season's success. This is the 7th time out of 9 that Godwin Road has had the honour of holding this shield.

23 Nov 1905 School closed this afternoon by order of the Education Committee in honour of the Duchess of Connaught's (ed: daughter-in-law of Queen Victoria)visit to the borough to open the American Bazaar, under the patronage and active support of the Duchess of Marlborough, for the Extension scheme for the West Ham hospital. (ed: this Bazaar took place in the pre-NHS era, and was a fund raiser for the local hospital - as were held in many places in the country - at a time when most working people effectively relied on charity for their health care.  The event was significant enough to not only result in local schools being closed, but in attracting two thirds of a broadsheet page coverage in the Stratford Express - the headline of which is shown below).

Stratford Express 25 November 1905

12 Feb 1906 Mr Walker, art connoisseur and dealer of Newquay, Cornwall called and informed the master that Frank Watson, an old Godwin boy had just left him to take up a scholar's life at the Donald Fraser Institute, Glasgow for 4 years. Mr Walker showed some of Watson's pictures and says in his opinion that he would make his mark in the art world.

26 Mar 1906 This has been a Red Letter Day ... in the elementary school choir competition at Stratford Music Festival ... 7 schools entered ... and our boys gained first prize ... the test piece was 'Shout! Throw your banner out!" and the choir's own selection "Sleep sweet birdie".

25 Mar 1907 On Saturday our boys gained the distinction of winning the championship for London in the football field. Our team beat Page Green 3 - 0, and so became the holders of the Dewar Shield for the year.

22 Mar 1909 It was painful to hear that Ambrose Rotiusno, Standard 7 was found hanging in a cupboard in his mother's room, yesterday about 2 o'clock (ed: newspaper article calls him Robinson - see below. The jury's verdict was that he met his death by "hanging while swinging about". They did not think he committed suicide).

Stratford Express 24 March 1909

29 Mar 1909 The master, with Mr Rawlings and some of the boys in his class, attended the funeral of Ambrose Rotiuso on Saturday afternoon.

23 Dec 1909 Mr Barker, one of our former pupil teachers came to see us this morning. He has just succeeded in obtaining his BSc degree at London. He was with us from Sep 1899.

15 Apr 1910 The boys were allowed an extra quarter hour's recreation this morning, to celebrate the completion of the 25th year of the opening of the school.

21 Apr 1910 School began work at 1.45 and was dismissed at 3.55. This was to enable the boys to go to Ilford to play the semi-final in the Cook Cup competition.  All staff and about 200 boys went. The school team won the match against Central Park school 3 - 0 (ed: the competition was instituted by the county Football Association, in memory of its late secretary, Robert Cook. It was open to all elementary schools in Essex. It is still competed for, under the aegis of Essex FA, for under 15s).

2 May 1910 The boys played the final of the Cook Cup competition. They met Albert Road school, Romford, at the Boleyn Castle grounds. Our boys won the match 10 - 1 and so became holders of the cup.

9 May 1910 The atmosphere at the school today has been somewhat disturbed. This is not to be wondered at, seeing that His Majesty King Edward V11 passed away just before midnight on Friday.

14 Oct 1910 The attendance this week has not been good. The Jewish holidays affected it.

21 Dec 1910 The secretary of Robert Cook Cup arrived, having made arrangements for the cup to be presented to the school. The ceremony took place this afternoon.

21 Jun 1911 School closed for the Coronation holiday, resuming on June 29.

29 Jun 1911 School reassembled this morning. The Coronation celebration was held yesterday. The boys went to the Electric Theatre ( ed: see photo. This was located near where the Co-op is today, on Woodgrange Road.  It was later known as the Imperial and also The Royal.  See here for details of the cinemas). in the morning, played games on the Flats in the afternoon and returned to school for refreshments. A very enjoyable day was spent.

Outside of Electric theatre

... and inside

7 Dec 1911 It was with satisfaction that one records that Mr Higginson, a former pupil, and Mr Bundell have each obtained the BSc degree at London University.

25 Mar 1912 The choir was successful in gaining the Challenge Shield on Friday, with 77 marks out of 80 and a certificate for singing, with 37 marks out of 40.

2 May 1912 The football team played South Church school at Southend yesterday in the Cook Cup final and won the match 4 - 1, and thus became holders for the year.

6 May 1912 The boys of the choir going to Paris attended today at the Town Hall for a lesson in French from 1pm to 2.15pm, and then returned to school (ed: An extract from Fifty Years a borough:  1886 - 1963 - the Story of West Ham wrote of "Mr Harry Earle and the splendid choir he trained at St Matthew's church, Stratford. Many of his old Godwin Road boys too, remembered with advantage the great days when (he) trained them to compete at the International Competition  held at Paris: how he found the money, took them there, and, on their return as victors they stood at the fountain at Forest Gate station and sang prize songs to a great crowd of friends and admirers. One of the songs was composed by a West Ham musician.").

Slightly grainy photo from Stratford Express
 of 150 West Ham children (including 50
 from Godwin school) on the steps of Vincennes
 Town Hall, during their visit to Paris

Stratford Express coverage of the French trip

3 Jun 1912 The choir was very successful at the Paris music festival, gaining 1st prize in the choral competition and in the singing at sight contest.  All the boys returned on Wednesday last, safe and sound, after a very enjoyable, but strenuous experience. (ed: this is quite an extraordinary story, which the Stratford Express, not surprisingly, covered in considerable detail. Part of that detail is a diary kept by the school of its time on the trip.  Although quite lengthy, this is worth an article on its own, and will feature in a future blog).

17 Jul 1912 The prizes won by the choir in Paris were publicly presented this evening by Baron de Forest MP for North West Ham (ed: see here for more details of the MP).

Stratford Express 20 July 1912

Maurice, Baron de Forest, the local
MP presented  prizes won in Paris
, to boys in the  choir, following
 their successes

26 Sep 1912 The school choir has been asked to sing at a Garden party given in West Ham Park in connection with the Municipal Tramways Conference. Mr Earle and the master are accompanying them to the park.

30 Sep 1912 Arthur Wright (Standard 1) brought a tin 'squeaker' to school. He was sucking it, when it was swallowed. The master sent the boy home to inform his mother.

3 Apr 1913 We had a very interesting visitor this afternoon, Mr John Rassuessen, who left the school in 1901. He has been in India in the Rifles Brigade. Unlike many soldiers, he has made a careful study of the life, religion and matters connected with the people.  Mr Rassuessen has been into Tibet, and so ingratiated himself into the good graces of the Lamas, that he has been shown many sacred places, played chess with them and been treated as a friend. We shall try and get him to speak to the boys on India.

25 Aug 1913 HMI report There is a good deal that is very praiseworthy at this school.

19 Nov 1913 George Cornwall called to inform us he had gained a Draper's scholarship and is going to Cambridge in October. He gained a scholarship at the secondary school from this school in 1908.

24 Nov 1913 A choir of boys from this school went to the Crystal Palace on Saturday to take part in a musical competition, under the aegis of the palace authorities. There were 15 schools who sang, this school was the winner of the first prize, gaining 96 marks out of 100. 

The impressive Crystal Palace, in south
 London, where it was located after the
 1851 Great Exhibition in Hyde Park
 and its destruction by fire in 1936