Five Ways Evacuation to Monmouth 1939-1944 by P.R.Watkins

An extract from Five Ways Evacuation to Monmouth a history written by a former KEFW headmaster Mr P.R.Watkins:

C.H. Dobinson's headmastership had so far been dominated by two leading themes: the quest for peace and international understanding and a belief in the contribution of country life to a town boy's education expressed most completely in the Evenlode scheme. It is ironical that the war, which so shattered the first, should have led to the unforeseen fulfillment of the second in the evacuation of the school to Monmouth. Monmouth is a small market town of 6000 people 70 miles from Birmingham, situated on the nbeck of land where the Monnow, rising on the eastern slopes of the Black Mountains, flows into the Wye whose source lies far away on Plynimon. It has a castle, the 13th Century Monnow bridge gate house, an 18th Century shire hall, a wide main street and a maze of narrow alleys, a girls' and boys' public school and a Rugby ground.

There could scarcely be a better place for a town school to live in wartime. The Wye Valley, the Forest of Dean, the undulating and sparsely populated hill sides of Herefordshire, the lanes, villages and castles of the border country, provide a unique setting. For five years Birmingham was home but for many boys at least, Monmouth was an adopted paradise in which the tempo of life slowed down and the realities of war were forgotten. For masters and their wives and for parents, whose family life was disruptedwhen they came down to help in hostels, they were years of ceaseless strain and long hours. Staff of all kinds recognised that in return for freedom from aerial bombing and from the exposure of the armed services they would serve without stint and with no form of financial reward.

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In May 1939 the Foundation already knew that when war came all its schools would be in the evacuation area and that five Ways was to go to Monmouth. In August, meetings were held at school, parents recruited as helpers and instructions were issued. The SOS broadcast to all teachers in evacuation areas found the staff scattered for the Summer holidays: A.J.Mears in Eskdale, P.A.Christian in France, H.S.Thompson on honeymoon at Eccles, and the Headmaster with a working party at Evenlode. J.T.W.James was at St. Ives in Cornwall and motored via South Wales to Birmingham arriving at 8 a.m. having driven through the night. He went straight to school and was given the job of organising the evacuation.

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What the school magazine described as "The Great Trek" took place on Friday 1st September (1). Earlier in the week each boy had received a blue card containing the word Evacuation and the date. At 10.30, 350 boys assembled in their form rooms with rucksacks, gas masks and water bottles. Each boy was given a brown paper carrier bag of "iron rations"- hard biscuits, a block of chocolate and a tin of condensed milk. It was a day etched into the memory of all participants:

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"Surely even those boys cursed with the weakest mental facilities will not fail to recapture the playground scene of our departure: the harassed section-leaders checking, re-checking and (just in case) again checking the numbers of our charges. Last minute instuctions were through the megaphone and, patience rewarded, marching off to the strains of the pre-arranged Gaudeamus song, whilst the rear of the column, 'tis said, managed quite well to the strain of a modern dance tune" (2).

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So the procession of boys, nearly 20 masters and 10 lady helpers marched three abreast singing "Wi' a 100 pipers a' and a' " into Ladywood Road Road, down Broad Street and Edmund Street to Snow Hill. Hours later they arrived at May Hill Station, Monmouth, formed up once more and the "seemingly never-ending column" crossed the Wye Bridge, gazed admiringly at the wooded slopes and were welcomed in the Rolls Hall with buns, cups of tea and iron rations.

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The authorities at Monmouth were expecting a girl's school and the route from the station had been appropriately lined by a detachment of the local Guides. Residents had offered billets for girls too, as one boy recalls:

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"Four of us were taken to a large house in the shadow of Monmouth Girls School, in which resided a middle aged spinster, her elderly mother, a maid and during the term two nieces from Amersham who attended the Girls School". (3)

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Like so many other wartime crises this one was quickly surmounted and billeting proceeded, supervised on the Monmouth side by Captain N.C. Elstob, the Second Master of Monmouth School and on the Five Ways side by J.T.W. James. That evening saw the black and white ringed caps of the "Birmingham Boys" for the first time. By 7 p.m,. a veritable Five Ways regatta was in full swing on the river (the only time boys rowed without a swimming permit), whilst others were exploring Monnow Street and Hereford Road, names which were to become as well known as Broad Street and New Street to the peace time school boy.

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Two days later came the declaration of war but even the most politically minded boy can scarecely have visualised a sojourn of more than a few months. There were of course problems: the town was used to the presence of Monmouth School whose boarders were frequently to be seen dressed in their light grey suits, white shorts, red ties and straw boaters. C.H. Dobinson insisted that Five Ways dress should be functional - in the summer months shorts and open-neck shirts, in which he himself set the example. This was not at first quite understood in this small country town and there were Five Ways Prefects too who dissented from it and felt that the formalities should be insisted upon.

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In general however the relationship between town and school was of the happiest. Almost five years later on 26th July 1944 there took place in the same Rolls Hall a presentation to the town of Monmouth by Five Ways parents of a memorial plaque to mark the end of the longest and most successful evacuation of any Birmingham school. (4)

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1939-1944

From the parents of the boys of King Edward VI Grammar School, Five Ways, Birmingham. As a token of admiration for the high public spirit shown by the residents of Monmouth and district and in gratitude for the hospitality extended to the boys lodged in this friendly twon and its beautiful surroundings.

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Presented by Mr Cyril Glover, Chairman of the Parents Committee in the presence of the Lord Mayor of Birmingham Alderman D.G.H. Aldridge J.P. and the Deputy Bailiff Councillor W.T. Wiggins-Davies J.P.

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For five years, between 360 and 190 boys lived and worked in Monmouth. In scholarship they were successful years, in music a golden age and in games and out of school activity, years which saw the flourishing, which is only possible in a boarding school. These were certainly the crowning years of Dobinson's headmastership.

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(1) Five Ways Magazine Christmas term 1939 p.852

(2) Five Ways Magazine Summer term 1945 p.1496-7

(3) M J Plonderleith

(4) Five Ways Magazine No.77 Summer Term 1944 p.1369-1371