The History of Christ Church Cathedral School, Oxford by Richard Lane

Author:Richard Lane
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781784422912
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2017-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Canon Claud Jenkins, Sub Dean 1934–58, known as ‘Snow White’. (Christ Church archives)

News of old boys in the forces was reported in The Cardinal’s Hat, and as before there were letters from grieving parents, such as this report about Wilfrid Cooke (CCCS 1916–19) from his father, published in The Cardinal’s Hat, spring term 1943:

Dear Mr. Dean

With a very sad heart I am writing to inform you that my only son, Lt. Cdr. Wilfrid Alan Cooke RN was killed in action on November 15th last, off Oran (Algiers). He leaves a mourning and desolated wife and a baby son of 14 months.

My son was a former foundation chorister of Christ Church, in the time when Bishop Strong was Dean, and Henry Ley the Organist.

He was in command of HMS Algerine, a large minesweeper, when he met his death, his ship being torpedoed; all his officers and the majority of his crew went with him.

My son was deeply and reverentially attached to Christ Church, and when on leave rarely omitted a visit to the Cathedral to join in Evensong. It is highly probable that when this appalling war is ended another memorial to gallant Christ Church men will be erected, and I venture to express a hope that his name as an ex-chorister on the foundation may find its place. This privilege I know he would dearly like to claim…

H.S. COOKE

Reported in the same issue of The Cardinal’s Hat:

John R.T. Donne [CCCS 1922–28] came to the school in September 1922, becoming a probationer in 1925 and a full chorister in 1927. In 1928 he won an exhibition to Worksop College. He was married on August 18th last to Miss Molly Peck. He was killed in North Africa on January 18. No further details of the manner of his death are yet known.

Requiescat in pace.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.