VE DAY Leigh May 2025

In May 2025, the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Leigh Church decided to hold a display of flowers in the church.  The Leigh Historical Society participated in this and produced some displays for the entrance along with some memories and background for May 1945.  Below are the items that were posted in the Church porch.

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VE 1945 in LEIGH

On 8 May 1945 – written in red in the School Log – were the words “Today the announcement of the cessation of hostilities in Europe was made.  The school closed for two days.”  And on 24 May 1945, again in the Log, was written “Today being Empire Day, the Union Jack was flown.  A special Empire Service was conducted by the headmaster and suitable songs were sung.  During the morning lessons on the Empire and the duty of its members were given to the senior children.”   Empire Day, an annual event at the school, had not been celebrated since 1939.

TONBRIDGE FREE PRESS REPORT: Friday 18 May 1945:

Children’s V-Party – Saturday was a memorable day for the children of school age and under who attended the party and sports organized by the village for the village.  Brought up to the tune of war on the shortest route from enemy-held territory to London, organized functions passed them by, and for the first time on Saturday they came into their own.  The festivities were organized by a committee of ladies, to whose appeal for foodstuffs and funds the whole village responded.  Nearly one hundred children assembled on the Green for the Sports in the afternoon, and although for most of them this was their very first experience of races, they soon entered into the spirit of the contest and produced some keen rivalry.  Wheelbarrow egg and spoon and thread the needle races provided great fun.  Tea was set out in the Village Hall, where the long tables were absolutely loaded with good things of all kinds.  Voluntary help provided an efficient and quick service.  Sports were then resumed, and two hours later, about ninety children received their prize money.  It was then found that sufficient funds had been collected to give every child a Victory gift of 1s 6d., and this was done.  One happy interlude occurred when, unannounced, a motor-van drew up on the Green and dispensed some very welcome ices – the gift of a well-wisher.  To round off the afternoon the children were invited back to the Village Hall for lemonade and soft drinks.  A well-attended dance for the grown-ups was a fitting finish to the day.

 Joyce Field

Leigh Historical Society

 

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LEIGH CHURCH RECORDS – DURING THE WAR

 25.08.1940  SERVICE INTERRUPTED BY AIR RAID WARNING

 16.09.1940  ROOF SRUCK BY BULLET.  ONE TILE BROKEN DURING FIGHT WITH GERMAN PLANES

 06.10.1940  NO SERVICE DUE TO AIR RAID WARNING

 13.11.1940  INCENDIARY BOMB PENETRATES CHANCEL ROOF. 5.25 A.M.  SHOPKEEPER CALLED FIRE BRIGADE AND VICAR

 08.02.1942  LADIES JOINED CHOIR ON ACCOUNT OF SHORTAGE OF ABLE BOYS

 27.06.1944  UNEXPLODED PHOSPHOROUS BOMB IN OLD CHURCHYARD NEAR CHURCH HILL DAMAGED SOME GRAVES

 Andrew McClintock

Chair, Leigh Historical Society

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EVACUEE CHILDREN ARRIVE AT LEIGH SCHOOL

On 1 September 1939, the evacuation of London schoolchildren began and Leigh received 176 children and 4 teachers from St Vincent RC Convent School Westminster and other evacuees (from other schools). The School Log figures differed, recording that “approximately 230 children were received today at the School under the Government Evacuation Scheme.  They belonged to the party brought by St Vincent’s RC School.”  (The school was used as a disbursing point). 

As the Leigh School itself did not re-open until 2 October (following the hop-picking holidays), the evacuee children initially used the Institute rooms.  The girls and infants of St Vincents (plus a few brothers and sisters from other schools) attended from 2pm to 4.30pm, the boys from 9am to 12.30pm.  Once Leigh School re-opened (on 2 October) for Leigh children, they would attend from 9am to 12.30pm. This school sharing arrangement did not last long and the school began working full-time again on 6 November 1939 pupils were accommodated as follows:

Leigh School seniors and juniors in Class 1 room and small room;

Infants, with St Vincent’s Infants, in Infants’ room;

St Vincent’s Seniors (mostly girls) were accommodated at the Institute;

Juniors were in Class II room at the school premises;

Senior 1 St Vincent’s at the Institute. 

The Log also listed the LCC staff (Local County Council), namely Miss C Leigh, Miss Clark, Miss O’Callaghan, Miss Griffin, Miss O’Brien, Miss Vanstone, Miss Fergus (Girls Dept); Miss V Fletcher, Mrs Joiner, Miss Lapthorn.  It is unclear whether these were all St Vincent staff, but Miss O’Brien, Mrs Joiner and Miss Linthorne were.  There is no mention of the regular Leigh staff in this list, such as Miss Ellis or Miss Buxton.  The school roll, which included the evacuated children, in December 1939 stood at 590. 

Eventually the evacuees set up their own school in the village hall. The School Log.

Joyce Field, Leigh Historical Society

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EVACUEE CHILDREN

 Reactions from local children to the evacuees were mixed: “the St Vincent’s children were a little alien.”  However, many of the children got on well with the families on whom they were billeted, some forming lasting friendships, but it would have been desperately lonely for them. In the event, with no shots being fired or bombs falling in the early part of the war, by 1940 many evacuees began to return home.  But some did remain throughout the War.

 Miss Winifred Ellis said that on 1 September 1939, “the school . . . suddenly found itself dealing with a large group of Roman Catholic evacuee children from Kensington, complete with their own, quite clearly, extremely forthright teachers who were nuns”.  She recalls how they assembled on the Sunday to receive the newcomers.  “There were 230 of them, plus their nuns and priest, Father Hatherway (sic).  We had some great fun with the evacuees but it wasn’t always easy.  We had the school in the morning and the evacuees had it in the afternoons.  Their head infants’ teacher was a nice little person but I didn’t always get on with her”.   (The reference to the school being divided was only until 6 November 1939).  She continues, “However, it was difficult with two schools sharing.  And they eventually moved down to the Village Hall.”

 On 10 July 1944, the School Log reported on flying bombs and that “owing to increased enemy aerial activity it has been decided to evacuate those schoolchildren whose parents so wish.”  All the St Vincent’s party and 9 local children at Leigh school were sent away to Exeter. The school remained open as there were still 44 children in attendance, but there was still no lighting in the shelters which were frequently used during school hours.  The Log went on to say that “many children have been sent away privately and others are being taken by the parents with younger children when the official scheme begins later in the week.  A number of parents are refusing to send their children at all for the present.”  It goes on to say that “from today the mid-day meals which are brought from Edenbridge Cash and Carry kitchen are being served in the main classroom of the school.  The first class is now being held in the small classroom.”

 Joyce Field, Leigh Historical Society

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MEMORIES FROM EVACUEE CHILDREN

 The evacuee children had their own stories. Gladys Edwards (later Gladys Hale) was seven when she came to Leigh.  When she and her fellow evacuees from St Vincent’s arrived, they were “all put into the school and local people came to choose us”.   Gladys had come with her three sisters and little brother.  “There wasn’t room for our school to go to the village one, so we were in the Village Hall, what’s called the Large Village Hall now I gather”.  She remembered that for Christmas 1939 they decorated the Village Hall with paper chains and did a little Nativity Play and had a party. However, she does not mention her time at the school and when her sister became fourteen that following summer, she had to leave school and go to work. And, so, all the Edwards children moved back to Victoria. 

 Another evacuee was Monica Gray who spent six years living at Oak Cottage. She had been sent from her Catholic School in Kensington (St Vincent’s) with others to Leigh.  She says that  because they were Catholics “it was thought better that we did not go to the Village School.  Anyway, we had brought our own teachers with us”.  She goes on to say that, “There was ill-will between the village children and evacuees.  We barely mixed with the village children.  There often used to be fights”. 

 Tony Scragg was another evacuee who was seven when he arrived in Leigh.  He remembers, as a small boy, holding his sister’s hand in the school playground, in pitch darkness (the blackout) with our carrier bags of goodies, which our teachers had given us after we got off the train and looking at the grown-ups who walked along the line contemplating who and how many of us they could take into their homes.  But he again does not mention life at Leigh School, rather his life in Leigh  “My stay in Leigh was the most wonderful period of my young life! I was billeted on a small farm.  I had never seen a live cow, or any of the other animals.”  But he does recall the Battle of Britain raging overhead, the one time he mentions the word ‘school’.  “We were let out of school to watch the local Spitfire pilot do victory rolls over the village and occasionally drop little parachutes with messages.  I think he was Lord Hollendon’s (sic) son but that might have been wishful thinking”.

 Joyce Field, Leigh Historical Society

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THE SCHOOL DURING THE WAR

 Some things did not change: in January 1940 the Managers’ Minutes reported severe weather which had frozen the water supply to the lavatories and the schools had to close until the supply was restored

 There are occasional references to the War: on 16 August 1940, it was noted that “owing to an air raid warning the afternoon registers were marked late today”. 

 The Blitz air-raids which began on 7 September 1940 (and would continue until 11 May 1941) meant that, at times, the numbers allowed to attend the school was limited and, again in the autumn of 1940, those who attended could only do so for half a day.  However, full attendance did recommence by December 1940, despite the Blitz, as verified in the School Log.   

 The Leigh School Managers’ meeting of January 1941 discussed plans for an air raid shelter which entailed moving the Schoolmaster’s wood shed and garage. It was completed during the summer of 1941.

 In March 1942, the Managers agreed a scheme initiated by the Kent Education Committee and the Women’s Volunteer Service (WVS) to provide dinners for all schoolchildren. Meals would be sent from the “Peoples Restaurant” at Penshurst by the WVS Van and would be given out by local members of the WVS under Mrs Twitchell (of Park House), at the request of Mrs Sealy, the Vicar’s wife and WVS Village representative. Later, when the provision of school dinners became compulsory, this would be done by paid helpers.  School staff collected payments from the children and the headmaster was responsible for financial arrangements. 

  

3 JULY 1944

There was one incident reported in the Managers’ Minutes that did have an impact on the school.  On 3 July 1944 an unexploded cannon shell (fired by an aeroplane) had been surreptitiously brought into school by James Longhurst.  It occurred during the temporary absence of the headmaster from the classroom. The boy began playing with it and the shell exploded with fatal results to Joan Chandler and himself.  Several children had fortunate escapes from flying fragments. The School ‘Correspondent’, Rev. Sealy, attended the Inquest and testified to the careful instructions given by the headmaster as to the danger of touching any such objects during the War and also to the absolute confidence of the School Managers in the headmaster’s care of the children. The School Log reported the incident. “At about 9.50 am a fatal accident occurred in the main classroom.  One of the boys James Longhurst and a girl Joan Chandler lost their lives owing to the explosion of a cannon shell which the boy had brought to school.  I immediately closed school for the day and on the advice of the chairman of the managers decided not to open tomorrow 4^th.”  

The Log noted that on 5 July the Coroner’s inquest on the above had been held in the school ‘today’ and that the Coroner had reached the verdict of accidental death in both cases and had expressed his sympathy with the bereaved parents and the headmaster “whom he also exonerated from any suspicion of negligence”. 

Joyce Field, Leigh Historical Society

 

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FROM THE CHILDREN AT LEIGH SCHOOL DURING THE WAR

 The effects of the War on school life were visible in the attendance levels, in the changing number of evacuees, in the various war efforts and fund raising by the School and its pupils and in the after-effects of the tragedy of 3 July 1944, with led to the departure of both Miss Ellis and Mr Gibbons. 

 We also have some thoughts from the children who lived during this difficult period.

 John Holden remembered Miss Ellis and Mr Gibbons (“Gibbo”).  He also recalled that “a lot of the lessons took place in the Air Raid shelters at the rear of the school” where they went every time the siren went. “The head’s son was a brilliant cricketer and played for Leigh”.  At 11, John went to Sussex Road School, to where Mr Gibbons had moved following the War and where he became John’s housemaster.

 The tragic incident of July 1944 is recalled:  June Chadwick was in the class when the mortar bomb exploded.  “Joan Chandler who was killed, was next to me. All I can remember was that she stood up and I went under the desk.  My hands were quite badly burnt.  After it, there wasn’t any counselling like you’d get today but I don’t think it was necessary really: we all got together in our own groups and talked.  It must have been much worse for the teachers – they must have felt so responsible.  Mr Gibbons left soon after”.  Betty (Elizabeth) Clark also recalls the explosion.  “When I was fourteen, I had finished the school curriculum and I was getting bored with the revision, so they let me work in the Adult Library doing the milk money and fixing the stamps in the savings books and things like that.  I was there the day the bomb went off.  I don’t think the full story ever really came out.  You can see why.  It was in the summer and I had been talking to one of the boys, James Longhurst, before school began.  He had a thing – it was like a big torch battery with cardboard round it.  He’d been sticking pins in it.  He said he’d found a dump with lots of them and the next day he was going to bring in one for each of the boys. I went back the Library and Mr Gibbons walked up to the telephone box at the bottom of Church Hill – we didn’t have one in the school – to give the number for school dinners as he always did.  While he was out, there was quite a babble next door and I was talking to Joan Chandler whose desk was just by the Library door.  James must have been telling some of the others about what he’d found and it went off and I was thrown back.  I must have been stunned because, when I came round, I was across the desk.  I thought that I’d lost my legs.  I went out to the shelter outside the school like a zombie but I came back into the classroom and saw everything.  Joan was sitting still at her desk with wide open, staring eyes.  Mr Gibbons was at the far end of the classroom and he was shouting at me to go down to the shelter.  At the shelter there were some boys who were sitting on another boy who was screaming ‘my brother’s lost his arm – I must go to him’.  Joan Chandler was so pretty.  She died of shock.  It was so terrible.  I had nightmares and sleepwalks.  Lots of the children did.  There was no counselling or anything to help us.  It was so hard to work in the classroom – we went back to school after a week.  I still can’t talk about the details.  There were the two funerals.  The flowers that came – they came from everywhere – all the schools around as well as all the village.  But nobody shed a tear.  We were brought up that way”      

 John Knock recalled that during the War, there was an epidemic of scarlet fever in the Infants’ Class. “Maureen Haste and I and a few others didn’t catch it but most of the class did – probably over twenty of them.  They all had to go to an isolation hospital which was in Otford.”  As he remarks, it was quite a common thing in those days and could be dangerous.  And on a visit to Leigh School in 1998 to talk to Leigh children, he referred to the death of the two children, killed in 1944.  But he also talked about some of the changes in the main structure of the school since he left in 1947: that now (1998) all the toilets were enclosed, but for him, the boys’ toilets used to be open. The classroom windows have been lowered and there is a door out from the little room.  Double doors from the “top” classroom to the middle one have been filled in. The headmaster’s house is now the reception class downstairs and the school offices are upstairs. There is a new playground at the back where there was once the air raid shelter during the War. In 1941, the Reception Class was taught by Miss Ellis in the classroom nearest the High Street.  There was a gate on to the High Street but this was taken away for road safety reasons and the fence (wooden) around the main playground has been replaced by netting.

 Joyce Field, Leigh Historical Society

 

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FUNDRAISING FOR THE WAR EFFORT IN LEIGH

 The local press reported on fundraising efforts, such as the Wings for Victory fundraising, a Salvage Drive and Warships Week. 

 On 27 March 1942, the Kent and Sussex Courier reported on Leigh Warship Week which raised over £4,000. “Lord and Lady Hollenden have been indefatigable in their efforts to stimulate the village activities and have patronised many of the events which have been held” – such as a football match, a dance, a competition for an original headdress, cribbage and whist drives, a Selling Centre in the village, a concert party from Bromley in the village hall.  There was a children’s fancy dress party attended by 150 children, organized by the Hon. Mrs Kindersley and Mrs Twitchell and there were dancing displays by children of Leigh School, trained by Miss Ellis and Miss Buxton, and by evacuee children trained by Miss Griffin, Miss Vanstone and Josephine Kerrigan, an evacuee, sang a solo. At the school Mr Gibbons arranged a drawing competition of posters and warships which were to be judged and exhibited and he also organised a “Ship Halfpenny” competition for the village.

 On 31 July 1942, the Tonbridge Free Press reported on a Salvage Drive to collect waste paper as a means of raising funds.  In Leigh, residents set out to complete an unbroken line of books around the 668 yard perimeter of the Green and by the end of the day 574 yards of books were in position.  “The effort, which was continued on Wednesday with a great salvage “comb out” in the village was organized by Rev and Mrs F L W Sealy, assisted by members of the WVS, the staff and children of the school and Miss Diana Faircloth and members of the Junior Girls’ Club and Lady Hollenden” and on 21 May 1943 it gave its report on Leigh’s Wings for Victory Week.  On 2 June 1944, the Kent and Sussex Courier reported on Leigh’s “Salute The Soldier” week, when the target for the village was set at over £5,000 and a host of fund-raising events and on 15 December 1944 a Leigh School Sale was announced: “a  small sale in aid of the Red Cross, held on Tuesday at the Leigh School, was organised by Miss W N Ellis, the Infants’ Mistress.  The majority of the articles sold were made by the children and included useful presents in leather and other fancy articles.  A profit of over £36 is anticipated.”

 Joyce Field: Leigh Historical Society

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21 May 1943 Tonbridge Free Press

 Victory Week will be Lively. At Leigh

 “Wings for Victory” Week is to be held in Leigh from Saturday May 29 to Saturday June 5.  I’ve been snooping around to get a story.  All I’ve got so far is some news about the program.  You remember that last year the village was forgotten by the District office and had to run their “Week” weeks late.  Well, it’s been whispered to me that Leigh was not notified of the inaugural meeting.  However, I dare not bolster up this story – I was most unpopular for spilling the  beans before.  Naturally, I went to Lady Hollenden, the Savings Group Chairman, for information.  First of all, I’d better explain how Leigh got its goat.

 UPSTANDING GOAT

Now Mr Frank Barkaway, of Selby’s Farm, has quite a freak collection of animals and things, such as an upstanding billy goat and – of all things – a miniature hansom cab, the latter complete in every detail, including the trapdoor through which the cabby peeked to see what was going on inside.  The next link is “Pop” Scutcheon, mine host of the Fleur de Lys, ex jockey and well-horsey.  During the great Week we shall have billy goat harnessed to the unique hansom with Pop in charge and giving rides to kiddies.

 BUSINESSLIKE

Obviously, the Week is to be run on businesslike lines, for Leigh Football Group have accepted the invitation of the Savings Group to run a dance on the Friday preceding the Week, and the proceeds will be used to defray the Week’s expenses and to provide prizes for some of the functions.

There’s a very heavy program altogether, with dances organized by the Home Guard, under their Commander, Captain Fraser, and the Specials, led by Head Constable Whitehead and Sergeant Parrett; a musical church service; a fancy dress party, arranged by the Hon. Mrs Kindersley and Mrs Twitchell; and a tiny tots party, given by Mrs Humpherus, for the children, and an entertainment by the children under the direction of Mr Gibbons, Headmaster of leigh School, and Miss Griffen, who has charge of the evacuees; a marionette shop; a cinema show; a shop on the Village Green, with Mrs Gawne and friends behind the counter; two whist drives, run by the Women’s Institute and Mrs Parrett; the Twerps concert and the fun fair and exhibition.

ANOTHER SCOOP

Let me mention one more scoop.  On the first day, Cricket Club Secretary, Barnett has arranged a match versus a renowned RAF team on the Village Green.  Years ago, Leigh cricket used to be enlivened by a bar and a band.  The Savings Group cannot offer you the former, but they certainly can the latter – a famous Pipers Band will play selections.  Here’s something really worthwhile for nothing.  Remember, the law does not allow a charge to be made for admission to the Green, so if you don’t like cricket, the Pipers Band . . . .

 THE TARGET

Wow, I nearly forgot the target.  In Warships Week it was £2,000, was raised to £4,000, and reached nearly £6,000.  This time it is £5,000 and they’ll get . . .

The Group target is £500, eight times the weekly average.  A real bomb, some 350 lb in weight, will be exhibited throughout the Week, and it is hoped that it will be well covered with Savings Stamps before it is returned for delivery to mein Feuhrer.  Mrs Burchett, the secretary, is sure going to be busy.  Keep an eye open for the target indicator – a real work of art, made I understand, by the Liaison Officer, whoever he is.

 Joyce Field, Leigh Historical Society