Assault-at-Arms at Bedford Grammar

AD 3814, Programme for Annual Assault-at-Arms, 1893 (Bedfordshire Archives & Records Service)

Tuesday 3^rd April 1917: An annual assault-at-arms at Bedford Grammar School attracted a large audience of ladies and gentleman, as well as scholars. The boys displayed their gymnastic skills, performing on the parallel bars, horizontal bars, rope-climbing and sword fighting. The boys also demonstrated their physical prowess in displays of boxing, wrestling, a bayonet fight and free marching. The audience was particularly appreciative of the vault horse display, whereby the boys leaped over two lads standing and sitting on a horse.

During an interval in the programme the Headmaster (R Carter) praised the gymnastic standards and thanked Sergeant Fowler who had worked strenuously in the absence of Sergeant Brookes, serving at the Front. Gymnastic medals were awarded to two seniors (Earles and Hockliffe) and two juniors (Ashton and Seegar), and a fencing medal was awarded to Halsey. At the close the Head Boy thanked the Headmaster and the national anthem was played.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 5/4/1917

Grammar School Founder's Day Service

Bedford Grammar School 1914 (Z1130/9/2/1/19 Bedford Archives)

Sunday 17th December 1916 There was a wartime theme to the Grammar School Founder’s Day Service. It was held in the very full Grammar School Chapel where the view of all the young boys in uniform served as a stirring reminder of the great task that is the war effort. The procession was made up of the Mayor and Corporation, the Masters, the Headmaster as well as the choir and clergy. The sermon was given by the Rev. J. M. Glubb, M.A., an Old Boy of the school. The sermon was a message of strength based on St. Paul’s adjuration; “Watch ye, stand last in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” Military analogies were used effectively to drive home the message to the students. However, the Headmaster’s reading of the lengthy list of Old Boys killed in the war effort since July 1916 was the most striking aspect of the service.

Source: Bedfordshire Times 22/12/1916

A Flying Visit to Bedford

Soldiers gathered on the playing fields at Bedford Grammar School, 1914
(Bedfordshire Archives, ref: Z1130/12/9)

21 September 1916: Bedford is treated to a bi-plane display over the High Street, which ends in a dramatic landing at Bedford Grammer School. The bi-plane was flown by Lieutenant E. J. Grevelink, who left Bedford Grammar School in 1911 and looked to make his landing in his school playing fields. However, the young airman found the playing fields so thickly dotted with goal posts, he was unable to land. Twice he circled the school and then ascended again doing the loop-the loop. Then he was plagued with engine trouble and forced to make a go of the landing, passing over the chimneys in North Hartlington and Gladstone streets and landing inside the field near the Clarendon Road gates. After alighting and attending to his engine, he left for home to visit his parents, leaving his fellow flying pupil in charge. Local residents and schoolboys flocked to see the aircraft until the civil and military police cleared the ground. Getting out of the field proved even more difficult than getting in, and two goal posts had to be removed for the run across the ground. However, just as Lieutenant Grevelink made the ascent his plane caught the fence posts on the edge of the field and he was forced to come back down to earth with a bump. Lieutenant Grevelink was unhurt in this incident and had joined the Royal Flying Corps only two months previously.

Source: Bedfordshire Times 22/09/1916