School at war

The War

In 1939, Mrs Beale, the head teacher of Bromley Common School, wrote, "The school will not open today for children as war against Germany was declared yesterday, September 3^rd. Teachers are to report daily except when on work of national importance." This "work of national importance" was probably distributing the new ration cards.

A few weeks later, Mrs Beale wrote, “Pending the opening of schools, teachers are now giving homework to children on a voluntary basis, parents taking responsibility for their attendance at school once a week to receive the homework.” Even when lessons started again, only sixty pupils at a time were allowed in the school so they could only attend for fifty minutes at a time. (See below.)

The infants were taught at various homes in small groups so they could get to their own homes quickly if there was an air raid.

Lessons in 1939, according to the log book

Nov 6^th "Today children in five junior classes commenced attending schools daily in relays. Times of sessions being 9 to 9.50 am, 10 to 10.50 am, 11 to 11.50 am, 1.30 to 2.20 pm. From 2.20 to 3 pm teachers devote time to preparation and marking. Maximum number of children present during any one session is 60."

Nov 11^th "Miss Beauchamp resumes duty here, having been released from work of national importance. She will now visit and instruct children under seven years of age in groups at various homes, which allows each child to be within two or three minutes of home in case of air raid warning."

The problem was the lack of a safe place in the school grounds for the children if there was an air raid. Part-time education continued until the following March when trenches were dug for use as shelters and the juniors were able to attend half time.

Air Raid Practices

A few weeks later, April 17^th 1940, Mrs Beale wrote, "Air raid practice carried out. 66 children dispensed to houses & 44 to the church and vicarage in five minutes and 236 children into one trench within four minutes."

The new trenches were an improvement but that first air raid practice was very slow. Thing were much better a few weeks later when the head teacher wrote, "ARP practice carried out in two minutes. Gas mask drill taken while the children were in the trenches and the blockhouses."

If they were like those dug on Martin’s Hill in Bromley, the trenches were seven feet deep and five feet wide, with boarded sides and covered with corrugated iron with two feet of soil on top.

The new blockhouses were at the eastern end of the school (see the map of the school in the 1960s). The secondary school had its own blockhouse. (It is now used as a PE and furniture store by the primary school. See picture below.)

The new shelters were soon in regular use: from August 1940, there were air raids almost every day, sometimes two or three times a day. The head teacher wrote in the log book that, “Children staying to dinner now take the rest period in the block houses, so all children were under cover when the sirens sound.”

Other problems recorded in the war years were:-

“Miss Fritz & Miss Mugford absent - unable to leave their homes owing to damage caused by last night's air raids.” (Sept 1940)

“School trench flooded and temporarily out of use.” (Nov 1940)Once again, pupils had to attend school in shifts. Attendance dropped to 32% and it was three months before full-time education resumed for all.

“At 11.30 am, children dismissed… owing to delayed action bomb in adjoining playing field.” (Mar 1941)

“Miss Marchant absent, severely injured during bombing raid last Wednesday night, April 16th. Miss Kemp absent, house badly damaged during bombing raid.” (April 1941) 1200 civilians died that night in London, 144 in Bromley.

Among the additions to the curriculum were lectures on “The butterfly Bomb” “Salvage” “National Savings in Warships Week” and “Aid to China”.

When the Allied Forces opened the second front with the Normandy Landings on June 6^th 1944, there seemed to good reason for optimism on the Home Front. However, just one week later, the first V1 flying bomb landed in London. The following week, the head teacher made the following entries in the school log book.

June 16^th “No school today on account of Air Raids and bomb damage.
No. on Roll 378

June 19^th “Air Raid 6.45 - 10.55am - one child in trench. After the ‘all clear’ 7 more children arrived. Air Raid 12.55 - 1.07pm. 11 children present in the afternoon.”

June 20^th “Mrs Hoar absent for a few days to evacuate her small son to Sheffield. Air raid 3 - 3.20pm.”

Drawing of a V1 flying bomb
A V1 flying bomb, sometimes called a doodle bug.
The school was badly damaged by one in 1944.

June 21^st “Flying bomb hit the school in the early hours of the morning. Five classrooms, [head teacher’s] room, storerooms, etc. demolished. Three classrooms, hall and rest of building damaged.”

Both the primary and the secondary school were badly damaged and there was no school for the children but “Teachers worked Thursday and Friday to salvage books and materials wherever possible. Miss Kemp continued with salvage during the next fortnight during the morning and attended Raglan School in the afternoons.”

The children had been “informed by letter to attend either Raglan School or Southborough Lane School.” There was plenty of room for them; average attendance in Bromley schools dropped to only 25% because many children had been evacuated to safer areas.

Later in the year, the less severely damaged part of the senior girls’ school was reopened for the juniors and infants. It was not until 1946 that they moved back to their own building. The senior girls did not return to Princes Plain until 1948.

Three rooms in the old National School, including the Iron Room, were destroyed in the war. The doodle bug got the blame but, according to one account, they were in such poor condition that they did not need much encouragement to fall down.

Government compensation paid for the building of the South Room in 1954 and this is now used by the Holy Trinity Playgroup. One of the two original classrooms survives as the North Room. The teachers’ house is still occupied - but not by a teacher.