40s and 50s Memories
2
Introduction:
A fly on the wall with even
moderate historian's
credentials would have been
stimulated by the conversation
of the roomful of old boys who
milled together, drinks in hand at
an alumni gathering of OAs at the
RAF Club in April 2012. The adjective
old is a fair one, given that none of us had
left King's College, Taunton later than 1959.
That fly would have been listening to vivid
accounts of lives led in many diverse ways,
near to home and far away overseas. After
the conviviality at table, it was agreed that
it would be a good thing to try and capture
something of the collective colour of these lives, by as many of us who left King's half way
through the last century as chose to put pen to a few A4 pages. Having myself been unwise
enough to have proposed the idea, I was unable to dodge becoming the editor of those
pages and so it has turned out.
Although only 9% of the available export of King's leavers have so far sent in their post-
King's life stories I believe we can already see in this first edition that the idea had merit. In
these accounts we are able to discern much about the person who writes, and much on the
impact of half a century's history on lives led. We are also told quite a lot about the school
and how it had a hand informing and preparing young men for this last remarkable 50 to 60
years. Starting in the last years of the Second World War, we are taken by participants into
countries in all continents, some of which were approaching independence. We re-enter
the Cold War, and the Apartheid era, and countries no longer existing. Political violence
and unrest continue to make their presence felt. Scientific discovery and technological
advances feature throughout, natural disasters too take their toll.
The fact that so many have put the word "retired" in inverted commas, highlights something
the school grafted in many of us, namely a sense of an obligation to be of some service to
the communities into which we have 'gone to Earth' in retirement. Whether this exercise
is to be a one-off or the first of an open-ended phenomenon as decade follows decade,
remains to be seen. It is also possible, and desirable in my opinion, for later editions of this
original 40's & 50's collection to appear when further offerings may come forth from the 91%
yet to surface. Understandably, memories of King's crop up in some accounts. As the focus
here is on life after King's, these school memories have been distinguished with italics.
We owe a great debt of thanks to all who were willing to allow us into their lives. As editor,
I must carry the blame for errors of record but must also mention how intriguing this task
has been, and one which could not have been done without the inexhaustible patience of
Leisa Lavender and Brenda Hayman, of the OA Club Office at King's.
Tim Brennand
Cellan, Carmarthenshire
March 2014
Senior figures in the history of King's CCF taken
in c.1980 - Captain HR Padfield (OC 1940-1946),
'Sarge' Gooderham, Major TN Allen MC (OC
1946-1951), Major 'Boris' Willson (OC 1952-1963)
and Major W T Greenwood (OC 1951-1952).