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September 15 , 1916 . Although his name was initially included in the first Roll of Honour on the Pocklington School War Memorial , it was later corrected , as he had actually attended St Peter ’ s School .
OP Lt Col Frederick Robson took immediate command of the 5th Battalion in the field after James Mortimer ’ s death . His commendable bravery and resourcefulness were highlighted in the citation for his Distinguished Service Order ( DSO ), and he was mentioned in despatches twice . Lt Col Frederick Robson was killed in action on March 28 , 1918 , and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial to the Missing . He is remembered on the Sledmere Memorial , which was re-purposed by Sir Mark Sykes to honour specific members of the 5th Battalion , including Mortimer and Robson , and another two OPs , Captains Thomas Dufty and George Scott .
The group visited the grave of another commanding officer of the 5th Battalion in the British Cemetery in Vendresse , Lt Col Raymond Thomson of Malton , who died in the Battle of Aisne on 27 May 2018 and who is also commemorated at Sledmere .
joining the Royal Field Artillery in 1915 . Sadly , he succumbed to his wounds on January 2 , 1917 .
In Tincourt New British Cemetery , the group visited the resting place of OP Major Aubrey Hugh Darnell DSO and placed his photograph and a cross on the grave . After spending seven years with the Munster Fusiliers , Aubrey moved to Australia to train cadets in Perth . When war broke out , he joined the 11th Battalion of the Australian Imperial Force . He was among the first to land at Gallipoli and was evacuated to England in November 1915 .
There , he met and married a young woman from Wimbledon . He went to France for the first time in 1916 and participated in the Battalion ’ s operations during the late summer of 1918 . On September 24 ,
while the Battalion was leaving the trenches for the final time , before proceeding on leave to Australia , and handing over to an American unit , Aubrey was killed by a German aircraft as he mounted his horse , along with his Adjutant . He had been present on the Battalion ’ s first day of action - and its last .
Second Lieutenant George Weston Holme , also an OP , is buried in the Bazentin Le Petit Military Cemetery . He served in the Royal Field Artillery with the 50th ( Northumbrian ) Divisional Artillery Column . He was a former editor of The Pocklingtonian and excelled in football , cricket , and hockey , winning the Stewart Challenge Cup and demonstrating fine skill at fives . He attended Pembroke College , Oxford , for two years before
Memorial war stone ( above ) and an unexploded shell near Thiepval ( right ).
DID YOU KNOW …?
In 2024 , it is … 100 years since Dolman House was purchased and adapted as a boarding house . Dolman House , constructed in 1868 under the direction of Headmaster F J Gruggen , was originally leased to tenants . However , as the demand for boarding accommodation surged in the 1920s , the governors successfully negotiated to reacquire the lease and convert the property into a boarding house . The younger boys from Wilberforce Lodge were the first to relocate to this new boarding house , bringing them closer to the school , under the care of Mr and Mrs Lee . … 50 years since the Sports Hall was opened in February 1974 by Walter Winterbottom , Secretary of the Sports Council and former Manager and Coach for the England Football team from 1946- 1962 . The Beverley Guardian reported on the opening . In the issue from 22 February 1974 , it was reported that : ‘ An old boy of Pocklington School , Mr Arthur Quarmby ( 47-51 ), was the architect who designed the Pocklington School Sports Hall . ( He )… will be able to look back with pride on what he created for the rest of his days . Another old boy , Mr Don Chappell ( 46-50 )… carried out the decorating work .
… 40 years since Faircote House , formerly the home of Dr Fairweather , was acquired by the school and opened as a boarding house . It ’ s situation , opposite the main school building and adjacent to the Sports Hall , was clearly advantageous in bringing the senior boarding community together , and , at the same time , facilitating the opening of a new girls ’ boarding house in safe proximity to the school .
Please send any names , stories , or memories of the school to : opoffice @ pocklingtonschool . com
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