Updated 04 Mar 2015

WW2 Memorial

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1939-45 War Memorial

See 1914-1918 War Memorial webpage

Plaque + portrait 1939
    This plaque was created around 1917, to hold a portrait of the school's founder (King Edward V1). It matched the WW1 Memorial plaque, mounted in the Assembly Hall 1938-2003. In 1948 it was decided to remove the portrait, and inscribe in its place the 36 names of ex-pupils who died in WW2. Today (2015) both plaques and the portrait are held at Retford Oaks Academy on closure of the Grammar School in 2003.

    "....in 1904 the Duke of Portland presented a handsome painting of King Edward VI., the founder of the school. This is a replica of the picture at Welbeck, of the school of Holbein. It represents the young king in jewelled crimson dress, wearing the Garter on the left leg, and is framed in black and gold. Nottinghamshire History

Portrait of Edward V1
It is interesting to compare the two wars' losses as a fraction of Pupil Intake. Using Intakes quoted in the Retfordian, and different duration of the Wars, WW1 is 1 boy in 14, WW2 is 1 boy in 56, a ratio of 4:1 Assuming classes of 30, WW1 is 2 per class and WW2 is 1 per 2 classes. Quoted this way the losses don't seem quite so overwhelming.

From RETFORDIAN July 1948 page 3

From RETFORDIAN Dec 1948 page 2

EX PULVERE PALMA S W AINSWORTH A R LEWIS H ANDERSON A LOWE F G ARLISS J E MERRILLS B BAINBRIDGE F McNULTY R B BOWSKILL K PLUMTREE N H BURTON T PORTER P CLARK A E PRINGLE C H COOK T RICHMOND J G COWLISHAW T S ROBINSON J N HARROWVEN R A SALLOWAY L HARTLEY J P SMITH G HARTMANN F SPENCER C R HAZELBY P A STANILAND J R HEATH J J WADDS A HEMPSALL C WALKER P HOPKINSON R G WEST F M JOHNSON J I WILLIAMS P J KENNEDY T S C LOVELACE IN MEMORY OF THE PAST MEMBERS OF THE KING EDWARD VI GRAMMAR SCHOOL RETFORD WHO FELL IN THE WORLD WAR 1939-1945 I H NORTH FALKLANDS CAMPAIGN 1982

RETFORD GS WW2 MEMORIAL BOARD
Held at Retford Oaks Academy 2015

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