Remembrance

This year, Dauntsey's joined the nation in Remembrance on Sunday 9th November with a full service in the School's chapel. Pupils and staff from the five boarding houses, accompanied by parents and governors, gathered around the Memorial Garden. Wreaths were laid by the Chairman of Governors, Richard Handover; the Chairman of the ODA, Jeff Balcombe (OD 67-72), and the Head Girl, Daisy Radewski. The Head Boy, Rory Duffin, read the names of the fallen from the First World War. The guest preacher was School governor, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Johns GCB, KCVO, CBE whose illustrious career includes, most recently, Commander in Chief of NATO Command (94-97) and he was Chief of the Air Staff (97-2000) when he reitred. Until February this year, he was Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle (2000-2008).

Old Dauntseian Dick Hargreaves with Head Master, Stewart Roberts, and pupils

On Tuesday 11th November, the entire School community gathered for a Remembrance Service which welcomed Old Dauntseian Dick Hargreaves, MC (OD 32-36) as guest speaker. Whilst at Dauntsey's, Dick took part in an exchange programme between Dauntsey's and a Nazi youth leadership school in Oranienstein in spring 1936, and saw firsthand the way in which the Nazis were militarising the country, and preparing it for aggressing war. He was mobilised in 1939 and went to North Africa with the newly-formed Parachute Regiment in 1941. He went ashore in the invations of Italy, and won the Military Cross in hand-to-hand fighting with the German parachute division in Cassino. He parachuted into southern France in August 1944, then into Greece where he also fought the Communist revolutionaries in the bitter civil war which saved Greek democracy. He left the army in 1946. The congregation were honoured to listen to his thoughts and his message, and to hear from one who had personally known so many of the names which appear on the School memorial.