Not long after I arrived at the school, an aeroplane crashed at Redcliffe Bay, killing the two occupants. I have a letter written on school stationary, in which I tell my family of the event. My letter was written on December 5th. (usually a Sunday) 1938. Being so early in the month, the letter must have been my 'compulsory' letter, (see page 87).

In my letter I write that '...I saw the 'plane myself before it came down...'. Writing of the event some fifty five years later, I cannot say in all honesty that I remember actually seeing the 'plane. The truth was somewhat less melodramatic than I reported it. Certainly for those of us who were indoors at the time. I was probably trying to impress my family - after all, it is no good having a 'plane crash within a mile of the school if one can't even say one actually saw it! I have to admit to having no recollection of sighting the 'plane before it crashed.

I think every one in the school heard the 'plane as it came low over the lower field. The fact that we did not all rush out to see what made the noise suggests to me that we were probably in our school classes, and were not allowed to leave our desks, not even to go to the windows to see what had made the noise. The window sills were quite high off the floor, and it was not possible for the average boy to look out without standing on something - definitely forbidden in class time!.

Although the noise of the 'plane flying low over the school caused quite a buzz of excitement, we had no idea that a 'plane had crashed until later, when 'the word' began to filter around the boys. There were of course, some boys who actually saw the 'plane as it came low over the lower field, flying from east to west. From what we were told by those who saw what happened, the 'plane appeared suddenly over our lower field, flying very low.

There were those who thought that the pilot was going to land, then thought better of it and tried to regain altitude. After only just clearing the trees at the western end of the lower field, the 'plane disappeared from the view of those in the school grounds, only to crash seconds later on the rocky foreshore of Redcliffe Bay, less than a mile from the school. So ran the stories of 'those who saw it all'.

There were no regional news bulletins in those days so it would not have been broadcast locally, other than on possibly the BBC 9 O'clock news. The nine o'clock news was an institution in those times, but not for us, as that would have coincided with our 'lights out no talking' orders, also declared at 9 PM. It was not until the war started that we had wireless news bulletins of any sort relayed to certain parts of the school.

Our next knowledge of the 'plane came some two days later. Whilst on an official walking party, a group of us walked along the Mariner's Path to Redcliffe Bay, specifically to view the wreckage. In the intervening period, rumour had built up to a fever pitch. Gory details that had been related to us - with hand over heart - simply had to be confirmed. We were all determined to see the wreckage at the first possible opportunity.

As might be expected, by the time we arrived to view the scene, the wreckage which had not been cleared away by those whose job it is to do that sort of thing, had been dispersed by the advent of two swirling tides a day. With the exception of one or two pieces of metal, there was nothing to see. However, I do recall seeing the broken half of wooden propellers in Mr.Windibank's woodwork shop where it remained for the rest of my stay at the school. Whether it was the propeller of the crashed 'plane, and how it came to be there, I do not know.
Rumour had it among the boys that the pilot of the 'plane had been the pilot who had taken Mr.Chamberlain over to Munich for the 'Peace in our Time' talks with Herr Hitler. I'm sure the Bristol papers would have carried a full report of the matter, and much more accurately than our 'rumour mill'. The event carried some excitement for us for a few days, but with Christmas coming, it would soon have been superseded with the more important talk of what we hoped to receive from our families for the festive occasion.

FARMER WATTS, POTATO PICKING,

THE SCHOOL PICNIC AND

RUNNING THE GAUNTLET

One of the great slogans of the war was 'Dig for Victory'. I'm not sure exactly when this phrase became popular, but 'Doing one's bit' was something which I think many of us realised helped in some small way towards the war effort.

Although we in the school didn't realise the full extent to which the war was biting into various facets of civilian life, we were aware that many men had been called up. Several of our own officers had been called up, necessitating the need for replacements - leaving many jobs in industry, commerce, and on the land, severely undermanned.

It came as no surprise therefore, when Farmer Watts asked the school to supply labour for picking his potato crop. Farmer Watts supplied the school with milk, and probably other things. He was to be seen on many occasion bringing churns of milk in his pony and trap, and later on, in the side car of his motor bike. The school used several churns each day, and he delivered them around the back to the galley. As if in at least part return, he would collect the waste food, and take it to his farm for the pigs. For the collection of the waste food, he would come down on his motor bike.

Copy of letter written home on school stationary on December 5 1938 about the aeroplane crash at Redcliffe Bay

Page Two of second letter
In the place where the side car would normally have been, he had attached a large box like device with high sides. This more than adequately carried all the waste food the school could supply at any one time.

Farmer Watts was also known to the boys for allowing us the use of his land for our annual picnic. This was always a pleasant affair, and usually took place in May or June of each year. During the picnic, we were allowed to roam over certain well pre defined areas of the farm, climb trees, play cricket, or just loaf around as we pleased.

On our way to the farm, we noticed the army setting up what we called 'Wireless Detection Gear'. It was probably some form of early radar, but the general public had not heard of radar in those days. As we turned off Down Road, and into Valley Road, the whole of the area of one large field to our right had been taken over, and many posts put into the ground in such a manner that the tops of the posts formed a series of level reference points. Across these posts were strung steel wires, giving the whole area the look of a level surface at about eye level as we walked along the road. We never did learn any more about this peculiar set up.

We would walk in organised groups from the school to the farm, which was situated in the general area of what is now probably Valley Road just off Down Road. Farmer Watts even helped out by carrying our food from the school to the picnic ground - probably in his (suitably cleansed) sidecar!
One year - I think probably 1939, because two of the boys who remember the incident better than I left the school in 1940 - four boys got up to some trouble up there. I don't remember what the trouble was, but it must have been quite severe in the eyes of the Captain. When whatever the boys were doing was discovered, the picnic was called off, and all boys ordered back to the school. Before we left the picnic area, Captain ordered that the four boys 'Run the Gauntlet'.

Running the Gauntlet consists of all the boys in the school forming two lines, two or three feet apart. The boys who are the object of the exercise are then ordered to run as fast as they can, down the full length of the lines - and in between them of course. Each boy forming the lines, is expected to lash out at the runners, hitting them as hard as they can. Presumably in order to vent their anger on the culprits who were the cause of the picnic being cancelled. There are those who just can't wait to vent their anger on the hapless runners in anyway they can. Most of the boys would take a swipe and leave it at that.

The Captain was a great believer in this and other forms of collective punishment. Sometimes it was as described, other times the whole school would be punished in order to try and make the culprits confess their dastardly deeds. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Either way, it was a vicious, archaic, and quite unjust means of investigation and punishment.

Which brings me back to Farmer Watts' land, and the potato picking. I cannot remember whether we went by order, or as volunteers. I went on two or three occasions. The year that I went, was probably 1940. As might be imagined, being harvest time, it was the end of summer, probably about September. As in 1939, the days were sunny and warm, the war seemed a long way from the fields of potatoes.

Each day, about twenty boys went up to Farmer Watts' land to pick potatoes. We walked up directly after breakfast, and began work straight away. The whole potato picking team consisted of the boys, and about three or four farm workers who were too old to be called up to the services. The boys would be spread out along the line of potato plants, with a few yards in between them. The potatoes were dug out of the ground by a simple, but effective rotary device, pulled by a large Shire horse. The driver sat on the machine as it traversed the line. At the end of the line, was a large farm cart with high sides into which we were to dump our potatoes.

Each boy was given a bucket, and shown how to rummage effectively in the freshly turned earth to make sure that all the potatoes were found and lifted. If particular attention was not paid to the job in hand, it was quite easy to overlook many of the smaller potatoes, and the farm men weren't too happy about that. We were given buckets rather than sacks. Sacks would have been impossible for us to manipulate, so we were sensibly limited to what we had to carry by the size of the bucket.

It would be impossible for me to recreate the vernacular, let alone the accent used whilst our instructions were given to us. Being the group of cheeky youths that we were, we really enjoyed making fun of this rich Somerset accent as we were told (of the potatoes), to '...pick'n ob'm up, and put'n ob'm in the bucket...' It became a sort of catch cry, and raised paroxysms of laughter among us long after the potato picking season had ended. The work was hard, and back breaking, but by and large, we enjoyed it.

Not least were the lunch hours. The school sent sandwiches up for each boy, plus cold drinks. This was sometimes augmented by a swig of cider from one of the farm hands.

The monotony of the hard work was broken in spectacular fashion one day. Someone noticed a lot of black puffs of smoke high above, and some distance to the west from us. It wasn't long before we could spot quite clearly, aeroplanes darting here and there, and generally doing things in a most eye-catching fashion. We soon realised that we were witnessing an air raid over Bristol, and (for us) the added excitement of a box office seat to an aerial 'dog fight' between British and German fighter planes. 'Boys Own' could not have orchestrated it better for us! When the farm workers realised what was happening, they rounded us all up, and made us go into the woods at the edge of the field. They were quite agitated, but I doubt if we were ever in any serious danger, however, they were taking no chances, and into the woods we had to go. We could still see all that was happening, but the workers had done what they saw as the right thing, and in our best interests.

It was all over in about half an hour. Exciting for us to watch from the safety of the countryside, not so exciting for the residents of Bristol. The others at the school, who had seen nothing, held us in awe. I'm sure that in the re-telling, we individually brought down more German 'planes than did the RAF!

SMOKING

Or 'Togging' as we preferred to call it at the school. The practice of smoking was quite wide spread. Punishments ranged from the severe to the relatively mild, depending on a boy's punishment record, and the number of times he had been reported for smoking.. First time 'Toggers' were often given anything from three days extra work, to one month's privileges stopped, plus a severe warning of dire consequences should a further offence be detected.

My own record in this field is fairly insignificant, in that although I smoked on many occasions, usually when one of my friends 'cornered' a bit of tobacco, or when we were able to buy a packet whilst we were 'ashore' I was never caught - more through good luck than good management - and therefore was never 'On Report' for this offence.

Mr Jim Gilleece informed me about one of the more inventive (and highly dangerous) methods of lighting up cigarettes practised by some boys. It involved removing the cover of a light switch, and manipulating two pencils between the exposed wire terminals which eventually produced a spark from which a cigarette could be lit. I have to say that I had never heard of this being done, but then, I was hardly in the forefront of ingenuity. However, the practice is confirmed on page 318 of the punishment book, where a boy is on report for being '....Out of bed at midnight, shorting electrical circuits in attempting to get a light...'

Every now and then, there would be 'crackdowns' on concealed tobacco. Clothing, and lockers would be searched including - or should I say especially - the inside of our belts, which was a favourite hiding place for loose tobacco, matches, and the paper needed to 'roll one's own' - this was usually small bits of toilet paper!

One morning, after our usual 'Divisions', instead of proceeding to our classrooms as normal, we were told to 'Stand Fast', as the Captain had something to say. Three boys - whose names have long since been forgotten by me - were brought to the front of the parade in the gym. Three chairs were brought in, and the boys were sat down on the chairs. Next, three buckets were produced, one for each boy. The buckets were attached by a short length of small diameter rope, around the necks of the boys. This last action was more for effect than necessity. The Captain then produced three pipes, and gave one to each of the boys. Captain then addressed the assembly, saying that these three had repeatedly been brought before him for smoking. He was now going to give them the chance to smoke as much as they wished.

He produced a packet of tobacco which he informed us was the 'blackest shag' he could find. He then proceeded to load each pipe with this black shag tobacco, and each boy was made to 'light up'. The boys were told to inhale the smoke at each puff. they were told that they would smoke pipe after pipe full of tobacco, until they were sick (and presumably, saw the error of their ways!)

After a certain amount of time, two of the boys began to retch, and finally vomit all they had eaten that morning, and probably the day before, into their respective buckets. They did not look well at all. The third boy however, puffed doggedly on, certainly not smiling, but neither was he outwardly affected. We waited, and waited, all the time, the boy was being urged to puff harder, and to inhale the smoke, which he did, all to no effect.

Eventually, even Captain Evans realised he was on a path of diminishing returns in that, the longer he kept the boy smoking without the boy reacting in the desired manner, then the greater would be the boy's standing among the rest of the boys, along with the perception of smoking. The fact that the other two boys had heaved their stomachs up, and were still retching in front of us was forgotten. Here was one boy who had a stomach of iron, - but as far as we were concerned, it was the determination to out last the Captain - and the Captain had the good sense to realise who was winning the battle. The 'punishment' was called off with a 'Let that be a lesson to all would be smokers'. Well, of course, it was a lesson, but I'm not sure it was exactly the lesson which Captain Evans had in mind when he decided give it! Whilst I was at the school, this 'lesson' was not repeated.

CHEBBIES

Part of the charm - if that is the right word - of the National Nautical School is its magnificent natural setting, fronting as it does on to the Bristol Channel, and surrounded on the three other sides by woodland. 'The Woods' as we called them contained numerous great chestnut and horse chestnut trees. All the boys were well aware that the chestnut trees produced succulent chestnuts which could either be eaten, or traded. I don't know where the name came from, but we called them 'chebbies'. The horse chestnut trees produced the inedible nuts which we used as 'conkers'. Not quite so much sought after as the former, but they provided us with a seasonal diversion for some weeks, playing the game of 'conkers'.

Conkers is played by, in the first place, drilling a hole through the center of the nut, then threading a string through it. The nut is then held up by the string, and the 'challenger' aims at it with his own nut, also tethered to a piece of string. If the challenger hits the stationary nut, and is fortunate enough to break it, - this is the object of the game - he then 'adds' his victim to the imaginary numerical superiority of his own nut. For example, the first nut he breaks in this manner accords his nut the title of 'oncer'. The second nut, 'twicer' and so on. Should the nut he devastates itself be say, a 'twicer', then that 'twice' becomes part of his cumulative score. All sorts of ruses were used from the plain ridiculous to the downright disgusting, in efforts to 'case harden' the nuts, in the mistaken belief that such case hardening would make them impervious to the attacks of other conkers.

Strictly speaking, the woods were 'Out of Bounds' to all boys unless they had specific business there. 'Specific Business' really meant going to Chaplain's House, or one of the three or four officer's houses facing the Mariners Path at the western end of the grounds. I was Mr. Wellman's garden boy for some time, and used that often as a reason for being in, or near the woods. The other major reason for being in the woods was that you had been picked as a ball boy in the Captain's tennis court which was right in the south east corner of the grounds, and almost adjacent to Nore Road. Captain's Woods were even more strictly out of bounds, because apart from being a ball boy for tennis, there were few (if any) reasons for being caught in that part of the school grounds.

With an ingenuity born out of desperation, boys would dream up all manner of 'reasons' that they should have a need to be in or near the woods during the months of September and October. This was the time when the nuts ripened on the trees, and fell to the ground, literally 'ripe for the picking'. Two of the more ingenious excuses that come to mind were '...I followed a lame bird into the woods Sir, in order to nurse it back to health...' and 'I was day dreaming Sir, and before I knew it, I was deep in the woods...' these from boys who had just emerged from the woods with several pounds weight of chestnuts down the front of their shirts!

For about two hours on one afternoon a year, Captain Evans would allow all boys unrestricted access to the woods in order to pick up all the fallen 'chebbies'. Each boy for himself. Mostly, there were enough nuts for each boy to almost fill his locker in the gym. It was clearly understood that any boy caught dropping chestnut skins on the floor automatically copped three days extra work.