Harry Finds Love with Nurse Who Condemned Him As a Spy
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CAMPING AT LA ANITA’S BIRDS EYE JAMES CONNECTS BARONESS PAULINE GRANDE FETE VIVE LE VIEW OF LIFE PUTS MEDICAL STUDENTS NEVILLE-JONES TOUR YORKSHIRE YORKSHIRE ON THE ACROSS THE GLOBE FROM CIVIL SERVICE TO MAP CYBERSPHERE Issue 02 | Autumn 2014 A young Irish nurse, a VAD, announced that here clearly The magazine for LGS, LGHS & GSAL Alumni was a German spy, who should not be allowed to live – advice fortunately ignored by the excellent surgeon. HARRY FINDS LOVE WITH NURSE WHO CONDEMNED HIM AS A SPY Like us on facebook Follow @GSALalumni on Twitter Welcome to Memento List of Welcome to Memento 2 - 3 World War I 4 - 5 Contents Profile 6 - 7 Tour De France 8 Arts 9 - 11 Step Back in Time 12 - 13 Back to School for Alumni 14 - 15 London Branch 16 People 17 - 19 International 20 - 21 Sport 22 - 25 Obituaries 26 Events 27 We have had another busy and successful was guest speaker and kept us entertained year and thanks must go to the members with a spirited talk on her life in the arts. of the Old Girls’ Committee and Louise As well as the talk by Jane, Nigel Marshall, for their work and support. Underwood, husband of June née Rhodes There have been a number of events (OG 53), showed a CD that he had compiled, throughout the year. The Old Girls were featuring London branch archive photos represented at the Remembrance Day acquired from members over many years. Service by Joanne Pellow, vice president of A donation of £305 was made to the Solti the Old Girls’ Club. We now have a stone Accademia de Bel Canto in Tuscany as a in place in the Port Cochère, as a lasting thank you to Lady Solti for hosting the reminder of the service given by Mafalda spring meeting. Two separate donations of Whittaker, an old girl of Leeds Girls’ High £250 were also made towards a bus pass School. fund to help pay for the travel expenses of a Some 30 Old Girls and guests enjoyed GSAL bursary student. Message from the afternoon tea at Bettys and a talk by Chris The Old Girls’ annual day of golf and OGC President Scaife on the history and work of Robert walking was another great day, rounded off Thompson, The Mouseman of Kilburn. The by a celebration dinner. 20th anniversary of the 1994 leavers of Leeds Girls’ High School and Leeds Grammar Looking to the future, our continuing links School was held in March and proved to be with Malawi remain important to the school very successful and a fantastic evening. and the next trip will be summer 2015. The students are already planning ways to raise I must thank Jackie Chalmers for organising money for their visit and are excited at the the two London Branch meetings a year. experiences that lie ahead of them. In autumn members, including friends and family gathered at the Friends’ Meeting It has been a real pleasure to meet so many House for a meeting which included a DVD Old Girls this year and I look forward to and talk from Thelma Ruby on her long meeting more of you in the year to come. career in musical theatre. Chris Bamforth I was able to attend the meeting in April at President, Old Girls’ Club the home of Lady Solti, where Jane Bower 2 Memento | The magazine for LGS, LGHS & GSAL Alumni Welcome to Memento The 2013-2014 year was another busy one A Leeds Grammar School plaque is now for the Old Leodiensian Association. The proudly displayed in St George’s Memorial events list started with the OLs Down Church, Ypres, in commemoration of Under Dinner at The Melbourne Club on the OLs lost in action during the 1914- November 22. It is delightful to see links 1918 war. In addition, former LGS like this being established and we wish all staff members John Davies and Neill the very best for the coming year to all Hargreaves are searching out LGS archive far-flung OLs wherever they are. information on those who were killed, as well as those who faced the daunting The OLA Leeds Lunch was held on task of ‘carrying on’ afterwards. A November 29, with attendee numbers book recording the history of the Old continuing to grow encouragingly. Leodiensian Association is in planning, The 2014 lunch will be held at Aspire to include chapters incorporating this on November 28. The OLA London information. GSAL is planning a number Dinner on February 21 welcomed ERA of initiatives to commemorate the Foundation Chairman Sir Richard Brook Message from the centenary of the start of WW1, including (OL) as guest speaker and as an added an online roll of honour. Visit www.gsal. OL President bonus, raised £900 for the GSAL Bursary org.uk for more information. Fund. The 2015 dinner will be held on March 20. Key tasks for the year ahead include the continuous updating and adding Over 100 family members, friends, former to the database of OL members’ details colleagues and players made the inaugural and bringing together groups of OLs Briars-Hill Memorial Cricket Match at in a variety of ways, with the aim of GSAL on May 4 a highly successful event, maintaining comradeship, memories and at which Steve Kershaw’s outstanding shared values. If you feel that you would performance earned him Man of the like to help with any aspect of this, please Match acclaim. The event also proved get in touch with me or any of the OLA an ideal opportunity to renew links with Council members. many former LGS staff and planning is now under way for the next event, Tristram Hope with the aim of encouraging continuity (OL 1971 – 1981) between OLs and GSAL leavers. President, Old Leodiensian Association Dear Old Boys and Old Girls, September are from families whose income is below £32k pa and indeed five of them Greetings and for those new to the status, meet the government’s definition of living welcome. Please remember, there is no in poverty. escape – you have been and therefore you are one and perhaps the school can be Bursary students notably appreciate and forgiven for regarding you as an ongoing make the most of the opportunities that resource. It is a resourcefulness for which I the school provides. This year, typically, a wish to thank you. number represented Leeds, Yorkshire and the country in a range of academic, sporting, Thanks are due to many alumni who have and co-curricular competitions. They given their time and professional insight in bring credit upon GSAL; they make it a enhancing a range of educational events. richer place to be. They add to the school’s We are grateful for the response to our ongoing strength and reputation. request in the last issue of Memento for I should be delighted to hear from bursary support; that response helped raise Peter Jolly is anyone feeling able to support in any way. over £80k and will enable four additional We have even taken the liberty of enclosing Chairman of School children to come to GSAL who would have a donation form should you wish to use it. Foundation been unable to do so otherwise. With Kindest Regards, The difference made is significant: 13 Peter Jolly children who are joining Senior School this Issue 02 | Autumn 2014 3 World War I OL Harry finds love with nurse who condemned him as a spy A love story between a First World War officer and the nurse who condemned him as a German spy has been uncovered by a team of Leeds University students researching what soldiers at the front missed about home. Captain Harry Oldham, a former Leeds Captain Harry Oldham Grammar School pupil, served on the Western Front as a company commander in the 9th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment. Gravely wounded during the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917, he ended up on an He received serious wounds to the wife died five years later. operating table in a York military hospital, abdomen and spent a day and half lying The war had a considerable influence on muttering in German. in a mud-filled shell hole with five of his the life and work of the Leeds Grammar. men, all of whom died. Harry describes how “a young Irish nurse, Some 770 Old Boys served and, of those, a VAD, announced that here clearly was a At one point, a group of German soldiers 129 lost their lives. German spy, who should not be allowed stumbled across the British officer. One Many Old Boys distinguished themselves to live – advice fortunately ignored by the was about to bayonet Harry when he was during the course of the conflict and excellent surgeon.” stopped by a superior – “probably thinking received awards for gallantry. In all 80 it was unnecessary, as I imagine I wasn’t Months earlier he had used his ability decorations, including eight DSOs and looking all that good.” Stretcher bearers to speak German to save the life of a over 40 Military Crosses were made to with white flags eventually brought him in wounded enemy soldier, but found himself former pupils and staff. with other survivors of the battle. in the same predicament. Every month the Leodiensian magazine Harry’s story has a happy postscript. The story was discovered by five listed Old Boys who were serving and Having survived the war, he married undergraduates among the University’s those who had fallen. According to teacher the Irish nurse Heather Orloff in 1919 vast Liddle Collection of First World Hilda Christie: “During a weekday service and they had three children.