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Oldfield Park Junior School (Bath) WW1 Memorial Project

East Twerton School 

(now Oldfield Park Infants School, Bath) 

WW1 Memorial

East Twerton School Memorial
This memorial seems to have been up and down off various walls over the years, but is now a fixture in the school hall of Oldfield Park Infants, which was originally East Twerton School. Many pupils ar Oldfield Park Juniors will remember it from their years at the Infants school.

It is an impressive piece of work, with three main brass plaques, the central one of which bears the inscription:

East Twerton Council Boys School

This Memorial perpetuates with gratieful admiration the Glorious Memory and Devoted Services rendered to King and Country of upwards of 500 Old Boys and Teachers of this School who during the Great War of 1914-1918 dedicated their lives to the Defence of Justice, Righteousness and Freedom.

Their Glory shall not be blotted out and their Name liveth for evermore.

Names of those who fell are inscribed on the side panels.

R.R. Stephenson A.C.P., Head Master
September 1919
 

As such, this memorial is among the minority that explicitly commemorates the services of those who did not die alongside that of those who did. Given what we now know about the suffering of all those who saw active service, history makes memorials such as this seem the more 'complete' remimder of the sacrifices of those times.

The inscribed brass panels are surrounded by carved panels that name the Allied countries in the Great War, namely Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Italy, France, America, Serbia, Russia, India, Belgium, Africa, Rumania & Portugal. The four columns contain elaborate carvings of military hardware including helmets, swords, pikes, drums and bugles. The crest in the pediment contains the letters E.T.C. and the Latin inscription 'Conando Vincimus' which, seems to mean 'Endeavouring to Defend'.

The Bath Chroncile and Weekly Gazette of 4th October 1919 ran the following story:

EAST TWERTON COUNCIL BOYS' SCHOOL.

UNVEILING OF THE WAR MEMORIAL

The memorial erected in honour of the old boys and teachers of the East Twerton Council Boys' School who served in His Majesty's Forces during the war, was unveiled by the Mayor of Bath (Councillor A. W. Wills) on Friday afternoon. There was a large attendance of past and present scholars with their relatives and friends.

The National Anthem was first sung, and the Headmaster (Mr. R. R. Stephenson) then gave particulars concerning the memorial. After the singing the school choir of a musical setting of the Lord's Prayer, composed by A. J. Hawkins, the Mayor gave an address, at the conclusion of which the memorial was unveiled.

The choir then sang S. Liddle's "Abide with me" and the Mayor was thanked by Preb. H. L. Maynard, seconded by Mr. C. Jenkin.

Thanks to the Headmaster were expressed by Mr. A. W. Andrews and Mr. R. H. Hope, seconded by Mr. F. W. Spear.

The concluding number sung by the choir was Dunhill's part-song, 'A Lake and a Fairy Boat.'

The following statistics relate to the names on the memorial and the distinctions gained by old boys of the school:
  • Number of names received: 530
  • Number fallen: 52 
  • Times wounded: once 74, twice 18, three times 2, four times 1
  • Blinded: 2 
  • Gassed badly: 18 
  • Prisoner of war in Germany: 12 
  • Mons Star and Ribbon: 54
  • D.C.M.: 1 
  • D.C.C.: 2 
  • M.M.: 10 
  • Mentioned in despatches: 3 
  • Miscellaneous medals: 13.
Associated with the memorial is an album, containing the following address:
" In this album are recorded the names and particulars of service of the old boys and teachers of this school, who, at a time when the freedom of the world was gravely imperilled, loyally and disinterestedly dedicated themselves in His Majesty's Forces to the service of their King and Country during the Great War of 1914-18. It was compiled as a complement to the memorial and was presented by the Head Master, Mr. R. R Stephenson, in token of his unqualified admiration for, and affectionate remembrance of, so many of his old pupils and colleagues of the previous 30 years. Bath, September 1919."  


Two additional plaques on the memorial read as follows:

This memorial which was erected after the First World War in East Twerton School during the Head Mastership of Mr R. R. Stevenson was removed from the school in June 1952 and re-erected and re-dedicated in St Peter's Hall in July 1955.

The Roll of Honour may be seen at the Bath City Library

and:

This memorial was returned to
East Twerton Infants School
March 1983



To assist anyone researching servicemen appearing on this memorial, the list of names is as follows:
  • ANDREWS G. F.
  • BARTLETT F.
  • BATH A.
  • BEES. R. A. 
  • BELLAMY J. J. 
  • BLACKMORE F. E.
  • BRISTOW W. E.
  • CADBY J.
  • CANN W. G. 
  • CHURCH D. F. 
  • COLLINS R. H. 
  • COOK W. T. 
  • CROOME F. G. 
  • CROSS A. E. 
  • DARKE F. C. 
  • DAVIS A. C. 
  • DERMAN S. F. 
  • DYER W. H. 
  • EATWELL F. G. 
  • EBDON V. 
  • EDDY F. 
  • FRY W. F. 
  • FRY W. H. 
  • GEORGE H. E. 
  • GIDDINGS J. H. 
  • GRAY G. V.
  • HANCOCK A. H. 
  • HILLARD A. J. 
  • HODGE P. H. 
  • HOLLEY A. E. S. 
  • HOPKINS J. 
  • HULBERT H. E. 
  • JENKINS W. H. C. 
  • LAMBERT G. W. 
  • LEWIS W. S. 
  • MAGGS F. C. 
  • MASLEN W. A. 
  • MAY E. O. 
  • MAY W. H. 
  • NASH G. 
  • NIXEY A. J. H. 
  • PARSONS A. G. H. 
  • POCOCK F. A. 
  • PORTNALL A. 
  • ROBINSON W. H. 
  • SCOTT W. F. 
  • SMITH RALPH
  • SMITH RICHARD
  • SMART J. S. 
  • TANNER A. W. 
  • UPHILL R. G. 
  • WILTSHIRE W. E.