“Lest We Forget” ... Each year, these words are spoken across England on November 11th as a way of honouring soldiers whose efforts helped to end the ‘Great War’, a world-wide conflict which involved over 30 nations between 1914 and 1918.
This phrase relates to the importance of the monumental sacrifice of all who fought in war.
From those who survived the dismal conditions of trench warfare to those who bandaged the wounded, and those who had mental scarring to those who never had the chance for injuries to scar.
All are remembered and shown gratitude for their courage.
Over 9 million were killed worldwide, leading to memorials of fallen soldiers’ names being created between 1921 - 1931.
Practically every town, village and city have one; some tributes feeling every lash of weather, empathising with those who it commemorates.
Others are tucked safely in the walls of church and village halls like a child being tucked into bed.
They have become such a constant in the lives of people that, as stated by local historian Kenneth Wright, “Death almost became a part of the social sphere” that we inhabit.
Similarly, nestled inside Hayley Hall in King Edward VI College, the names of 57 soldiers are emblazoned in honour; 54 ex-pupils (or “old boys”), two former teachers and the Groundsman.
However, unknown at the time of commission, two names were omitted from the heroes list:
James Henry Watkins and John Graham Pearson.
These former “old boys” were rediscovered recently by Kenneth Wright, a perceptive historian who utilised his love of military history and his background in accountancy; scrutinising each fact and tracing back to its source.
I was given the opportunity to interview Kenneth, who informed me that although previous research into the names had already taken place, he and his small but mighty team of researchers dug deeper to bring the soldiers back into the grounds of King Ed’s.
The County Express, now known as Stourbridge News, and the works of owner Arthur Hatfield Moody, aided Kenneth’s research.
Arthur maintained the presence of the ex-students in the community through reporting on known deaths, reproducing their letters and even writing their accounts of the war if they returned to tell the tale.
The County Express is where our first name appears.
James Henry Watkins, born in 1892, Kent, was described as an old student of the school, yet was not mentioned elsewhere.
After consulting with the archives of the college (two large ledgers of every applicant in the school’s history starting from 1875), Kenneth was able to prove that Watkins was indeed an old student.
Another useful source for this discovery was the previous headmaster of King Ed’s, Joseph Boyd, who had compiled the names of known ‘old boys’ that served in the First World War.
The absence of Watkin’s name is suspected to be Joseph Boyd’s oversight, although no criticism is placed on him as his knowledge of the boys would have been through voluntary letters to the school from the students or their families.
There was another J. H Watkins in the same class lists from 1908 who served and survived the war.
His omission could have been a mix up between these two men, only they both received different conclusions to their heroic fable.
Our hero in the Royal West Kent Regiment had met his end to a shell from a trench mortar in 1916 at the age of 24 in Wailly, Nr. Arras during his probation as an Officer.
Nevertheless, James Henry Watkins has now been recognised with his name being pulled back into the informative arms of King Eds.
Our second hero, John Graham Pearson, born 1887, Windsor, is another interesting find.
Despite the County Express and the college archives declaring that he was an ‘old boy’, records had shown to Kenneth that Pearson’s immediate family had emigrated to Tasmania at the age of 2.
Kenneth explored this further and found the event of the death of his grandfather, prominent businessman in Stourbridge, George Pearson of ‘Harris & Pearson’ firebrick manufacturers, had brought his family back to the UK for 12 months when Graham was 13. During these months, he enrolled into the school and joined the future ranks as an ‘old boy’.
Pearson returned to England in 1918 as a Medical Corps Private with the Australian Imperial Forces and worked in a UK Hospital.
Sadly, Graham was hit by a shell near the Somme and died at the age of 31.
Now, a wrong has been righted and the ‘old boys’ have been carved into history, officially joining their classmates and teachers in Haley Hall.
We honour their sacrifice, and their new legacy has a place in the eyes of current and future students that read the new plaque.
And we will remember them all.
