The War Years 1914-1918

emphasis on the character of each pupil. A character based around the common ideals pupils gained through their time at Mill Hill, with him as the driving force. As McClure says in the same speech: ‘They went forth simply and naturally to do their duty, without thinking very much about it, except that it was their duty.’

It was not the curriculum that instilled this sense of duty, but the leadership specifically extolled by McClure.

In the case of the war, although his sense of duty and support for it was unwavering, he was first and foremost tolerant and liberal which shone through even in these dark days. His stance when faced by a recently arrived day boy Kingsley Martin (1914-16) who was a conscientious objector, was a case in point. McClure showed himself to be ‘wonderfully tolerant of my eccentric attitude to the war’ and noting Martin’s stand promoted him to a Prefect. Following this he enlisted in the Friends’ Ambulance Unit. McClure’s values were not obscured by the crisis of war or the unpopularity of Martin’s views.

Although the First World War did not change McClure’s passion, ideals and commitment, there’s no doubt its effects on the school were enormous.

1905 saw the formation of the Rifle Club – of which the trophies and achievement boards can still be seen in the CCF buildings and shooting range respectively. In January 1911, the Bursar Lieutenant Colonel Gluenicke founded the Mill Hill School Officer Training Corps (OTC). Although these ‘clubs’ were not strictly speaking to prepare for war but instead to emulate other Public Schools of the time, by 1913, despite initial low numbers, the OTC began to gather momentum and Mill Hill won second place in the ‘Schools of the Empire Competition’.

The start of war in 1914 brought about massive change although unlike the Second World War, pupils weren’t evacuated and neither were the grounds commandeered for Ministry of Defence use. Instead, the school became a sort of rear echelon. Daily School life was very much the same, lessons on literature, trigonometry and astronomy persisted and guest lecturers continued to attend, with the likes of William Watson presenting,

‘The history of the Mill Hill flora.’ Sporting life in particular flourished with perhaps one of the all-time best seasons for Mill Hill rugby: the School’s undefeated side beat Merchant Taylors with a resounding 15-5 win, a feat rarely seen during the School’s modern history. Concerts continued with an eclectic mix on the programme ranging from orchestral works by Purcell to Mendelssohn’s choral collections. Nevertheless, small nods to the war crept in. Along with their usual fixtures, the rugby team also played the Royal Naval College; the School magazine began to feature ‘Letters From The Front’; and the aforementioned concert programme signed off with ‘God Save The King’.

Over time, a strange juxtaposition of military training and normal school activities became evident.

The most overt signs came in the form of the OTC and the large chunks, up to 10 hours a week, of the timetable being given over to military activity. In 1914, the OTC numbered 223 rising to 257 the following year.

Prep and sports time were taken up with trench digging, route marches, military lectures, physical training, even bayonet fighting and schools that Mill Hill traditionally thought of as sporting rivals – UCS, Highgate and Aldenham – now became friend and foe in joint field exercises. Despite the front being hundreds of miles away, the war felt very close to home.

Over 80 per cent of pupils and Old Millhillians who fought in the First World War were volunteers: a testament perhaps to the education of ideals and character that McClure fostered during his tenure instilling a strong sense of duty.

Of the 120 pupils to sign up in 1915, 80 sought to commission as officers. In-keeping with the military thinking at the time, Britain’s Public Schools were to provide officers for the front. Pupils sought the Headmaster’s advice on leadership, and his recommendations were in keeping with the traditions of the school.