Bombs and bulldozers - part 2

BY DAVID BROWN

The school was involved in various fundraising campaigns... examples of which were "Stockton Food Week" in February 1941, "Warship Week" (13th March 1942) when £628.5.6d was collected or gifted for National Savings and a month later "Wings for Victory" added £1228.5.3d. Films, such as "Rabbit Keeping" shown during June 1942 were given aimed at improving food production.

As invasion prospects receded so did heavy bombing raids increase. Greater emphasis was placed on the prevention of bomb damage... starting on 22nd September 1942 staff had to participate in fire watching duties at school... which sometimes caused staff to be unfit next day due to headaches and tiredness. The last local raid on 11th March 1943 demolished Dinsdale's Garage in Yarm Lane, devastated the Mandale Triangle and caused nearly a hundred casualties.

To cope with shortage of agricultural workers during autumn 1943, boys were "marked present" whilst exempted from attending school for agricultural duties i.e. spud picking.

During February 1944... maybe to boost flagging morale or maybe to persuade likely job leavers... some boys visited a War Effort Exhibition at I.C.I. and one hundred and thirty-nine boys went to see the "America Marches" exhibition at Middlesbrough.

During the war several staff joined up, some of whom returned to teach after the cessation of hostilities... Mr. "Pop" Carlin was one of several. But not only were the staff who joined HM Forces involved in battle. On 20th March 1945 Miss Duffney, whilst escorting boys to St. Peter's Hall was attacked by six hooligans with stones and sticks. On arrival at St. Peter's large stones were hurled at Mr. "Eggy" Plummer. One schoolboy, who was helping to repel the attackers, was hit on the head with a thick stick and house bricks damaged windows in the hall. Johnny Rosser chased and caught one hooligan who was "persuaded" to "tell" the names of the others... the police refused to take action except to visit the parents of the boys who it transpired had been remanded in court that morning and were letting off steam. Mr. Rosser was not pleased with the police attitude as the hooligans were out on bail for a week and could attack again.

By the time the war had ended schools in the area had been affected by fifty-four daytime air raid warnings, although only ten had been recorded in school records, and ninety-six night alerts... mostly during 1940 to 1942. During the war the Stockton area was alerted four hundred and eighty-one times... the LAST siren alert sounded on 31st March 1944. At least two hundred and twelve Heavy Explosive Bombs and countless Incendiary bombs were dropped throughout the area of Stockton, Norton, Billingham and Thornaby... places where most of the boys attending Richard Hind Senior School lived. V.E. Day on 8th May 1945... at 9.00 a.m. was declared a public holiday.

After escaping the attentions of the enemy... the school returned to a peacetime existence, that is until the "authorities" decided to make it part of Bishopsgarth School. A year or so later during 1980 as the bulldozers moved in, so, some "old" boys... and girls, stared disbelievingly, hoping to salvage a brick, a slate or other artefact for a keepsake, whilst others paused to reflect on school days and times gone by, as their "old school" rapidly resembled yet another bomb site.

So where the Luftwaffe failed so did the bulldozers succeed in demolishing the school, which was founded in 1912, and silence the vibrant choruses of "Pioneers" leaving only memories of "all the past we leave behind".