Durlston Court School Plaque

I have visited Ypres for some years now and have always popped into St George’s Chapel, (Church) to pay my respects to the soldiers who fought and died here.

After the Great War it was decided to build an Anglican Church in Ypres for a permanent home of remembrance especially for the families coming to visit the battlefields where their loved ones had lost their lives or been injured. In 1924 Field Marshal Sir John French, who was the President of the Ypres League made a request for donations so the church could be built.

A piece of land on the north western corner of the Vandenpeerboomplein, near the St Martin’s cathedral was bought. Sir Reginal Blomfield was asked to design the church. He was already designing many of the military cemeteries in and around Ypres.

In addition to the church, it was decided to open a school. It was to be funded from donations by Old Etonians. There were over 300 students from Eton who had lost their lives in the Ypres Salient in 1914-1918.

On 24 March 1929 the Bishop of Fulham dedicated the completed church and opened it for worship. Initially the school was made up of a staff room and one classroom only. The school opened a couple of weeks later on 9^th April 1929. There were 62 pupils starting at the school at that time, most of whom were the children of workers with the Imperial War Graves Commission. Their homes were generally scattered around the old Ypres Salient.

The school closed due to the second world war when the Germans occupied Ypres. Many of the English families did not return to Ypres after the war, so the school remained closed.

Since 1962 the Chaplaincy of St. George’s has been linked with that of St. John’s in Ghent, a town north of Ieper in Belgium. St. George’s Memorial Church is within the jurisdiction of the Church of England’s Diocese in Europe.

In recent years there has been a renewed interest in the Great War by families tracing a relative who fought in the First World War. Many visitors to Ypres now call in to St. George’s church, either to look at the special memorials or to spend a few moments of quiet reflection.

The church is a memorial to all those who served in the Ypres Salient. Regiments, Divisions, Pals, families and schools who have been touched by the horrors of the First World War have placed brass plaques all over the church walls as a way to remember the sacrifice made by those brave souls. Kings, Queens and Presidents have visited this small church to pay their respects to those who fell.

In April 2022 I felt that my school, Durlston Court, should pay their respects to their former pupils, called Old Durlstonians and have a plaque placed on the walls of the church.

I spoke with my headmaster, Mr May who is also a keen historian and we discussed the idea.

Durlston Court School was founded in 1903 and its World War One roll of honour lists twenty-two Old Durlstonians who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the Great War. Many more will have taken part, either returning home safely or injured.

The school was originally founded in Swanage and moved to its current location in New Milton in 1945.

In July 2022 I visited all the fallen Old Durlstonian resting places on the Western Front. I photographed their graves and started to compile a history to each of them.

I felt these Old Durlstonians should be honoured near to where they fell and to give the current and future pupils of the school and focal point to visit far from home.

Initially, John Arnold, the treasurer of the Church informed me that they were not putting up any new plaques due to a lack of space. Mr May had agreed that the school would funds the cost of the plaque if the church relented and if we were offered a position within the Church.

Many months passed and I kept in touch with John, who eventually confirmed that they had agreed to allowing the plaque to be positioned in the main body of the church.

Mr May and I agreed to meet and discuss how the plaque should look and what wording should be used. We agreed on a verse from the original school’s anthem, “The Carmen Durlstonianum” which had been written by the founder of the school, Mr GT Atkinson. song

The following words seemed perfect…

“Many a minter far renowned

Spang from stone of Durlston ground,

And Durlston boys as the ages go,

Shall build up a name that will always grow.”

On the 15^th April 2023 I was able to officially unveil the new plaque in the company of John Arnold, the treasurer of the church and Benoit Mottrie, the Chairman of the Last Post Association.

On the 17^th April 2023 I was honoured to lay a wreath at the Menin gate in memory of all the Old Durlstonians who have served their country since 1903. The Menin Gate has just begun a 2-year restoration and the Last Post on the 17^th April 2023 was the first time they had held it on the ramparts just outside the memorial building. Due to this the ceremony was filmed by Belgian TV and posted on the Last Post Association’s Facebook page. I was able to say the Exhortation and felt very honoured to remember my fellow ex-pupils in such a way.

This journey has taken a year and I am not finished yet. I want to create a lasting respectful memorial to the Old Durlstonians back home with a detailed history for each of the boys. I feel we should all understand the sacrifice these young men made, and I certainly would not be able to attend this wonderful school of Durlston Court, had they not made such a sacrifice.

I could have not travelled this journey without the help, assistance and clarity of information from Mr Stephen Petty and my Headmaster Mr Richard May.

Lest we forget