THE MEMORIALS
1914-1919
William Hulme's Grammar School, Manchester was founded in 1887. During the First World War nearly 700 Old Hulmeians and School Staff joined the Forces. 111 died and are remembered on the War Memorial at the School.
50 Old Hulmeians, almost half the fatalities, have no known grave and are commemorated on memorials to the missing in France & Flanders, Gallipoli, Greece and England.
The first Old Boy to lose his life was A J H R Widdowson, a 2nd Lieutenant with the 2nd South Lancashire Regiment. He was killed in action on 25th August 1914 aged 20. The last to die before the Armistice was G S Walker, commissioned into the 20th Manchester Regiment on 25th June 1918. He was killed in action on 23rd October 1918 and was also a 2nd Lieutenant aged 20.
Between these dates another 104 Old Hulmeians died for their country. A further 5 Old Hulmeians commemorated on the memorial died after the Armistice through accident or illness.
The School magazine, "The Hulmeian", of December 1919 reported a first meeting to consider the erection of a war memorial on July 15th 1919:
"A War Memorial
For the last year there has been a wide-spread feeling that some form of memorial should be erected to Old Hulmeians who have fallen for their country. A meeting was accordingly held on July 15th last, and the matter considered by some 90 Old Boys and friends. The Archdeacon of Manchester, who was in the chair, said that all would be of opinion that such a memorial should be raised as would be worthy of our brave friends, who have fallen in the service of their country. The memorial should be lasting, and one such as those whom it would commemorate would themselves have wished to see.
A number of suggestions were made and discussed, and it was ultimately decided that an appeal should be made for the following purposes:
(1) The erection in a prominent place in the School of a Roll of Honour recording the names of Old Boys who had fallen.
(2) The acquisition of land for use as a playing field by the Old Hulmeians Association.
The matter is being dealt with by a Committee and it is hoped that the appeal for funds will shortly be issued.
It was also decided that a separate Guarantee Fund should be formed to provide for the education of any children of Old Hulmeians, fallen in the war, who may be left in necessitous circumstances."
The Hulmeian of April 1920 reported that an appeal for subscriptions was being made and subscriptions already promised or received amounted to over £700. The land to be purchased would be known as "The Old Hulmeians' War Memorial Grounds" and a building would be erected thereon for the use of the various sections of The Old Hulmeians' Association. It was estimated that the outlay would be not less than £5,000 and the "wholehearted and generous support of all Old Boys and Friends" was urged.
The July 1920 Hulmeian advised that the Old Hulmeians War Memorial Fund had now reached a total of £1,350, and good progress was being made in the provision of a memorial tablet.
The December 1920 Hulmeian reported that "the design of the Memorial has been prepared by Mr E K Brice. The tablet is to be of bronze and will be erected opposite the door leading from the main hall. Mr Brice has been good enough to prepare a sketch showing the design, and it appears in this number. The work is being carried out by Messrs Elkington, under Mr Brice's supervision". Mr Brice had been the Art
Master at the School for "many years". The Hulmeian expressed disappointment that only about £1,500 had as yet been promised or received. A list of the subscribers at that date, in excess of 220 names, was published, but they numbered only about 20% of those canvassed.
The Hulmeian of July 1921 was finally able to announce that "the bronze memorial tablet bearing the roll of honour of the Old Hulmeians who fell in the war was unveiled by the Lord Mayor of Manchester (Alderman W Kay) on Monday June 13th. There was a large gathering of visitors, including many relatives and friends of the fallen.
The chairman of the Governors, Archdeacon N L Aspinall, presided and there was also present the Lady Mayoress, Dr Joseph Hall, Mr S W Saxelby, Chairman of the War Memorial Committee, Mr H Cardwell, Hon Secretary, Mr J H Wright, Hon Treasurer, Mr H H Vlies, Mr E Kingston Brice, Mr J Dorrans, the Rev J Tristram, and the Head Master.
The Lord Mayor unveiled the Tablet to the memory of the Old Hulmeians who fell in the service of their King and Country in the Great War. The bugle then sounded the Last Post.
Dr Joseph Hall, the first head-master of the school said that every old boy whose name stood on the tablet had been a pupil of his at the school. Many of them had already attained high position in business or other walks of life, while others had shown great promise and all had left an inspiring example of which that memorial was the record. He offered his deep sympathy with the parents and relatives of the fallen.
Mr S W Saxelby on behalf of the subscribers asked the Head Master to accept the Memorial Tablet on behalf of the school and Mr Dennis in accepting it said that every morning as they passed out to their day's work the Tablet would meet their eyes with its reminder of the call to duty.
The ceremony closed in an impressive manner by the boys of the school filing past the Memorial Tablet followed by the audience, while the School Orchestra played Beethoven's Funeral March."
1939-1945
At its Annual General Meeting held on 18th September 1946, the Old Hulmeians Association proposed to provide a War Memorial to the Old Hulmeians who gave their lives in the 1939-45 war.
The Hulmeian Magazine of December 1946 reported "During the war, 677 Old Hulmeians are known to have served in H.M. Forces in all theatres, and of these 57 made the supreme sacrifice.
Many to whom this appeal is made will have known those who fell and will wish to avail themselves of the opportunity to honour their memory. The memorial is to take the form of a Sports Ground and Buildings, and a plaque at the School similar to that erected to those who fell in the 1914-18 war."
Donations were requested and a Roll of Honour appended and information requested as to errors and omissions, which resulted in a further 9 names being added.
The War Memorial Fund was officially closed in 1948 and the Memorial unveiled on Friday 11th
November 1949, in the presence of Relatives of the Fallen, the Governors of the School and
Representative Old Hulmeians, as well as the whole School. The following address was given by
the Headmaster, Mr J G Bird:
"We are gathered together this morning for the Unveiling and Dedication of the Memorial to those boys of the School who gave their lives in the 1939-45 War, and at the same time to honour and pay homage both to them and to our fallen of the previous war.
We are gathered together as one community, parents, friends, Governors, Masters, Old Boys and present boys of the School, united in one family, united in one feeling.
The boys of whom we think today were ordinary, normal people, as we all are, but for them the call came and they left us - left us to carry on the cause for which they died. That cause may sometimes have gleamed before them clear and bright like a beacon. Sometimes it may have been very dim. But in all was one feeling, that they were fighting something evil, something that was not the way of God, something which demanded every sacrifice to defeat.
Theirs was the supreme sacrifice. 'They died that we might live.' And though in our humanity we now morn their loss, it is right and proper that we should also gird our hearts with strength to continue their fight against evil, wherever it may be found, and whatever the odds - and, if necessary, like them to the end. For it is we, and we alone, who must insure that they did not die in vain.
At the close of this Service the trumpet will sound the Reveille; the trumpet call that awakens the Army to the New Day, the trumpet call that awakens the great Army, the Christian Army, to the New Day, the trumpet call that awakens these our fallen into the New Day in the presence of God, in whose love, care and brilliance they now stand. For they passed over, 'and all the trumpets sounded for them on the other side'.
'They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.'
And we will not forget them. For in this School there will forever be one spot which is hallowed and sacred to their memory."
The address was followed by a short silence, then prayers were offered by the Chairman of Governors and a hymn - The Supreme Sacrifice - was sung.
The Memorial was unveiled by the President of the Old Hulmeians Association, Mr Stanley R Best and the Dedication was given by Canon Woolnough - "In the name of god we dedicate this Memorial in grateful and thankful remembrance of those members of our School who gave their all that we might live."
The Last Post was sounded and wreaths were placed before the 1914-18 War Memorial by Lt-Col W A Hobbins D.S.O (see Old Hulmeians Lacrosse Club)., on behalf of old Hulmeians who fought in that war, and before the 1939-45 Memorial by Lt-Col G A Norris, O.B.E., representing those who participated in the latter war.
Reveille was then sounded and the School passed in procession before the Memorial.