The impact of the Great War on the College

While we know that all of British society was affected, often personally, by the Great War, some groups within society as a whole may have felt that impact more than others. Just how were students at the College affected? Certainly some lived in streets bombed by the zeppelin and bomber raids, and while none of the bombs were dropped on Dulwich, Ian Castle’s books in the Osprey series show that there were hits over South London where Dulwich boys lived.

I have carefully looked at the Dulwich College War Record 1914-1919 in which McCulloch Christison tried to record a biography of all Old Alleynians who died. He was helped by Captain H. F. Hose, who commanded the Dulwich O.T.C. during the war, and who tried to keep an accurate record of those serving. Christison knew that his record was not complete, but he was sure that what was published was at least accurate.

In particular, I have looked at members of the College sports teams who lost their lives, knowing the great effect that one death of a sports hero can have on a student. I have had to make some assumptions: that Christison is correct in his facts and, remembering him, I could hardly think otherwise; that 1^st XV 1910 means for the 1910-1911 school year; and that 1^st XI 1911 means for the 1910-1911 school year.

 

Every 1^st XV from 1886 to 1916 lost at least one player, except for the 1889 and 1890 teams. The 1914 and 1915 teams each lost five players, the 1916 team lost four; and nine teams lost three (1893, 1894, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1905, 1907 and 1911). 41 players were killed – many had played for more than one year. Similar figures for the 2^nd and 3^rd XVs are not as accurate because they do not include players who would later play at a higher level, but the 1908, 1911 and 1915 2^nd XVs each lost three players.

The cricket teams were not as affected – there are of course 25% fewer players. All 1^st XIs between 1887 and 1916 lost at least one player, except for 1888, 1889 and 1902. The 1893 and 1894 teams lost three, and the 1915 team lost four. 24 players were killed – again, many are counted on more than one year. The 1903 2^nd XI lost three players.

Ten deaths came to OAs who had played for both the 1^st XV and the 1^st XI, including Lt. L W Franklin who played 1st XV 1913, 14, 15 and 16, and 1^st XI 1915 and 1916; he captained both in 1916. He also captained athletics, gymnastics and swimming! After Dulwich, he went through the Artillery Cadet School, and within nine months was in France with the 147^th Brigade, Royal Artillery. He survived for 19 months before being mortally wounded during the final advance on Valenciennes on 16^th October 1918. The other nine who had played on both first teams were:

• Major Percival Anthony (1^st XI 1895-8, 1^st XV 1897-8) who was killed on the Somme on July 9^th 1916
• Captain Sholto Douglas (1^st XI 1890-93), 1^st XV 1892-93, Captain of Fives) who was killed near Cambrin on January 28^th 1916
• Corporal Ronald Easterbrook (1^st XI 1887, 1^st XV 1886-8) who died at sea, April 12^th 1919
• Lieutenant John Farquharson (1^st XI 1899-1900, 1^st XV 1898-1900) who was killed at Messines on November 1^st 1914
• Lance-Corporal Robert Firth (1^st XI and 1^st XV 1904-6) who died of wounds at Mendinghem on September 26^th 1917
• Major Charleton Gordon-Steward, known at Dulwich as Robin Gordon, (1^st XI 1894, 1^st XV 1893-94) who was killed in action in France on April 12^th 1916
• 2^nd Lieutenant William Gill (1^st XI and 1^st XV 1913) who was killed in Gaza on March 27^th 1917
• 2^nd Lieutenant John Paterson (1^st XI 1911-12, 1^st XV 1910-12) who was killed near Zillebeke on 31^st October 1914
• 2^nd Lieutenant Leslie Paton (1^st XI and 1^st XV 1915) who was killed near Arras on March 21^st 1917

I believe 13 past members of the Shooting VIII, and 9 past members of the Gymnastics VI also died.  Others had been members of other minor sports teams.

Of note: 38 had passed out of Sandhurst, 17 from RMA Woolwich, 5 out of RNC Greenwich and 3 from HMS Britannia. Christison also noted that 372 members of the Old Alleynian Football Club served, with 76 being killed.

To be noted also is that the Halahan family had six sons serving, two of whom were killed: Captain Henry Halahan on the Zeebrugge raid on April 23^rd 1918, and Lt.-Commander Robert Halahan who died commanding submarine E 18 sometime after June 12^th 1916. While each death would have had an effect on those who remembered the Alleynian, the overall effect as major sports teams began to be annihilated must have been very strong on those still at the College who looked around at their friends and wondered what fate lay ahead for each of them.

 

Peter Gower OA, 1953-61