My first inkling that something unusual was happening must have been in June of 1940 when our teacher at Lydney Church of England School, Miss Winnie Thomas, announced that we were no longer to use the front playground as this was for the use of the Exmouth boys from London who would be arriving shortly.

From now on our playtimes were to be spent in the "back yard." The front playground had been recently re-surfaced and the back was a loose ash surface. So this announcement caused some dismay amongst the children. Not only this-from henceforth the school was to be shared with the evacuees taking all but two of the rooms. From now on the C of E infants were to be in one room and the juniors in the other. There were two junior schools at the time serving the children of Lydney. Our school the original built in the 1860s had once been the only one. Another had been opened in the 1920s and had more children than us. So in fact there was quite a lot of unused space at the Church School. But there was to be a problem as our numbers were soon to increase by other evacuees moving into the district.

So it was to be that our comfortable old school was to find itself transformed with the new arrivals. How many were there? I can just remember the playground seemingly full of them. However things seemed to work out well. Although there was to be no mixing within the school land we never used the front and they didn't use the back yard. The Exmouth boys were billeted throughout Lydney which being a down to earth working class community, gave them a warm welcome. It was not long before our visitors became popular and many friendships were established. During their time in Lydney the name "Exmouth" was dropped in favour of the London Nautical Training School (LNTS) . The "cadets", as they were known by all and sundry were particularly noted for their band which played at many wartime functions and competitions and also turned out on Sunday mornings for church parade.

I was one of the local boys who would be on the scene regularly to listen to them. How I envied Derek billeted next door who was a drummer. Recollections of their musical skill and the smartness of their turnout are still with me.

The old C of E School was demolished in 1997. The site is now occupied by a small housing estate.The Feathers Hotel (where the Exmouth had their mess in converted stables I'm told) has also gone - demolished about two years back I think. It had been empty for some time and although an attempt had been made to save it as an historic building it had to go in the end.

In the spring of 1944 there was a tragic road accident in which two of the boys lost their lives. The people of Lydney were particularly upset by this and showed their grief by the huge attendance at the funeral. In 1994 to mark the 50th anniversary of this, a parade and service was held in Lydney which was attended by quite a number of the former Cadets. Please see attached newspaper cutting.

The incident concerning the discovery of the NZ airman is of particular interest to me as I was an eye witness at Lydney Harbour that day.

We had a cadet billeted with us. His name was John Budd and he was from Stockwell London. He was in the group that went to Bray at the end of the war- I wonder what happened to him. Another name I remember is Ted Taylor who was a friend of the boys next door to us. His brother John was also evacuated to Lydney but not on the ship. John and I became good mates. I believe they were from Lewisham. They lost their mother and sister, both killed probably by a V2 rocket I think in 1944. I believe Ted had left Lydney by then. Other names are Derek West who was one of the drummers and Peter {d'Amato?} I think he was the chap with the mace. Both of these were at our neighbours in Beaumont Place. I've been talking to my sister ref the Exmouth and she tells me that the last reunion was in June this year to mark the 60th anniversary of the evacuation to Lydney.

All former cadets will remember Bathurst Park. Not only did the band perform there but the Exmouth also used it for PT exhibitions etc. These would sometimes be part of the war-time "weeks." example War Weapons Week and Wings for Victory Week. All communities had these for the purpose of fund raising. The park is much changed. It always had two sections - The Ladies Park and the Mens Park This is still the ground plan but the Tennis Courts have gone and the town end of the Mens has a War Memorial Garden. This side is much enlarged and goes up to the vicarage wall. The two parks are still separated by the narrow path which now has an official name but I'm sure must still be known as "The Avenue." The railway over the park wall is still there but now just as a tourist attraction being run by steam enthusiasts."

'Charles Wilson who was a boy in Lydney at the time that Exmouth was moved there during the war, also had a relative on the worcester training Ship'.