|
The exact date escapes me, but Mr. Whittaker had left us for pastures new in 65 with a step-up and away from Goldings boys and into a all girls school called Red Hatch, Winchester. I think the main reason was to get away from Goldings as his eldest daughter was walking out with one of the senior boys from Cairns house. One of Mr. Whittaker’s sayings, when he wanted to get our attention, was; “Today we will make an explosive device from every day objects found around the school”, as if, and then go onto the subject in question. Well I never thought that little old saying would cause so much trouble. We will call him Hans to protect the guilty and for want of a better name, a young student teacher, had taken a post-teaching job / housemaster prior to his final year. For his sins he chose us, and was confronted with the young faces who had made up their minds to wind him up about questions on the war. His first lesson; so with a very German / English accent; “Vot huv you been doing?”, he asked. Now you know what, one boy called out, and I think this one goes to Barry Foot, “Please sir, can we make an explosive device from every day objects found around the school and then let them off?” to which the class was if full agreement, then a voice perks up saying “Mr. Whitaker was always saying he was going to show us”. Then from the back some bright spark went and did it, he mentioned the war, about a chip shop and Germans dropping a bomb on his local chippy, (it must of happened a lot up north) and with a cough Hans has offered to take the lesson, but he said “I want you to pay 100% attention and never try to make this yourself”. Which we all agreed and one thing he did have us all eating out of his hands, he was a natural, he had a knack of believing what he was telling you, which is a good start in teaching. He was good. The lesson was over before it had really started, so the chemical parts to make the black powder bombs were placed into the storeroom. I have never known a week to take so long, we had arrived on time, sitting in silence awaiting our science lesson ’bomb making part II’ we have placed all the separate ingredients in individual sealed dishes, We had the cardboard tube which has been wound in duct tape and three light bulbs as fuses, thin phone cable, plus the loan of the Cadets, small generator, with a red ‘press here’ button to fire, that we all had wanted to use. We have all moved out to the front right hand side of the stable yard, laying the bomb in the bottom field. The first was, I think, the best, but went off with quite a loud report and lots of smoke from the black powder we had made up. The second failed, so we went on to the third. Now what happens now all goes off one after the another in quick succession. Hans at the top of his very German voice “ALL CLEAR” as the handle was wound up the button was pushed, and bang, not so loud, but the smoke which was double of the first came blowing our way, and as we followed it round, we saw Mr. Pinhead, our mentor, asking “what’s going on here?” to wit, one lad said “we’ve been making bombs sir”, at which Hans butts in yes sir we have, his words were stopped mid sentence by Pinhead ordering Hans to wait outside his study, while muttering making bombs eh and sending us back to the classroom. I always did wonder if Mr. Wheatley for one split second remembered the story of a member of staff killed at this very spot we all stood, by a German bomb in 1940. Pinhead was not a happy Headmaster. We never did see Hans again, which was a pity, as he was a damn good teacher, he had us all eating out of his hands I’ve never had need to call on my bomb making skills, but its one of those nice things in life to know how if the need should ever arise! This was one of the many Golden Goldings moments while in care of Dr Barnardo's, Goldings © Frank Cooke From records the only name that springs to mind is Mr. A. Von Behaim-Schwartzbach und Kirkhensittenbach (referred to as Alex) he is recorded as being a relief housemaster of this year. So Alex if it was you and you see this can we have your version of events.
|
