Memories - S.Arnold Ward

Austrian master Mr Kohn - taught economics

and popular cigarette brands

The following excerpt is from a letter from former pupil S.Arnold Ward (school years beginning 1937-43), which was published in the FWOE Association Newsletter No.58, December 2004:

' I was a pupil at Five Ways from 1937 to 1944 whenI left school at Monmouth to enter the RAF. My first two years were spent at Five Ways until that day when we were all shepherded onto the train bound for Monmouth.

My four years at Monmouth bring back mixed feelings as I experienced both good and bad billets. It musy have been difficult for some of the host families to adapt to having children again, or integrating them with their own. The better times are recalled as at the Hardings in Rockfield with Lloyd Arnold and, I believe, the Jenkins brothers (or were they with me at the farm up the Hereford Road, and at Inglewood?) It was there that I won a prize for the garden that I made in the rear of the property.

I joined the Army Cadets and well remember my first parade when I was chided for not having cleaned my buttons and badges. Obviously not a natural soldier or did someone forget to tell me they had to shine brightly? Leading out of that were the shifts standing on the bridge over the river, guarding it with a rifle in hand. Another uniform was that of the PAMS (Police Auxilliary Messenger Service). The intention of that unit was to carry massages by motorcycle in the event of an invasion. We were taught to ride the bikes in a field by a police sergeant and then we got sent off on practice rides. It didn't last long and I can't recall whether I just dropped out or it fell apart.

Anyone who was in the Commercial Sixth will likely remember Mr.Kohn who was an Austrian refugee and taught Economics. He also taught us the different brands of cigarettes that were good to smoke, the room full of smoke as we weighed up the merits of different brands. I was in the Upper Sixth Commerce when I took the Higher Certificate exams.

School finished officially for me in the summer of 1943. Those of us who were leaving were encouraged by Charles Henry Dobinson to volunteer for the armed forces and I decided on the Royal Air Force. I was accepted and was offered a six-month short course at Oxford University as part of my training as a potential officer/navigator. '