Memorial

Plaque 1939-45 Grammar School

Ryhope

Memorial Name: Plaque 1939-45 Grammar School (R52.18)

NEWMP Ref No.: R52.18

Parish: Ryhope

Original Location:

Grammar School (Closed)

Present Location:

Now in St. Paul’s Church, Ryhope.

Which War:

1939-45

Dedication, Creation or Publication date:

Unveiled Friday November 11th 1949 by Wing Commander Lawrence Kelly, B.Sc., A.F.R.Ae.S. (at school 1926-1933)
Service conducted by Rev. Leslie Nelson, M.A. (at school 1930-1937)
Roll of Honour read by the Headmaster Mr S.B. Graham.

Rededicated 06/11/2024 by Rev. David Chadwick in a service using the 1949 Order of Service.

Materials Used:

Oak surround

Bronze Plaque

Who Commissioned:

Old Students

Sculptor, Artist or Designer:

The Sunderland Echo 10/11/1949 reports with a photograph:- Mr S.B. Graham, Headmaster with Gordon Allison, John Collinson and John Buck students who made the oak surround for the metal plaque.

Inscription:

World War 1939-45
“They grasped the miracle of sacrifice”

Memorial Description:

Bronze plaque  21½ inches high x 24 inches wide (54.5cms x 61cms) with fluted frame.

At centre top is the school badge.

Names are listed in three columns using sans serif capitals throughout.

The new wood mount (2024) is 25 inches high x 28 inches wide (64cms x 71cms).

Names:

46 full names.
See transcript.

Notes:

1. When the Second World War started, the school was one of the first to form an Air Training Corps Unit.

2. 15 former pupils were awarded decorations.

3.  After the school was demolished, the plaque was found in a Sunderland builders’ yard.  It was taken into private possession until a new home could be found.  It was bought at a car boot sale and the new owner offered it to St. Paul’s Church.

Sources:

Photos: Peter Holt

Sunderland Echo
10/11/1949 report with photo of memorial to be unveiled tomorrow
12/11/1949 Brief report on ceremony
30/07/2009 carries an article about the memorials.
11/11/2024 Plaque returns to Ryhope

Source of quotation:
“They grasped the miracle of sacrifice” (Not ascertained)

Additional Research Documents

R52.18 Order of Service

Download
Research Acknowledgements:

Fitzhugh Collection, Middleton in Teesdale;
Alan Vickers;
Paul Errington
Peter Holt

Research In Progress:

If you are researching this memorial please contact 2014@newmp.org.uk

No map link available...
Provide Details

If you know more about this memorial, please send the details to NEWMP.

Names Documents:

 

   

RYHOPE       Grammar School

   

   World War 1939-45

   

   Akenhead, Thomas A.    Hogarth, Leslie      Robinson, Henry J.

   Atkinson, Douglas      Hull, Maurice        Robson, Thomas W.

   Bailey, Robert J.      Jackson, Kenneth     Roxby, Edward

   Bambrough, John        Jennings, Athol H.   Scott, Walter, R.C.

   Barkel, Albert V.      Johnson, Robert E.L. Shaw, Thomas G.

   Brown, Leslie A.       Kelly, William       Spraggon, Arthur

   Cobb, Robert           Little, Robert H.    Stephenson, William

   Curd, Charles D.       Lowery, Charles      Thompson, Horatio

   Davison, Raymond       Miller, William      Watson, Frederick

   Dixon, John W.         Munday, Jacob I.     Weston, Arthur W.

   Errington, Sydney A.   Nelson, George M.    Wilkinson, Cecil

   Gowans, James W.       Openshaw, Frederick  Wilkinson, George A.

   Groundon, Frederick G. Potts, John          Williamson, Anthony

   Hewitt, Robert         Quinn, Arthur        Winlow, David

   Hodgson, Thomas W.W.   Richardson, Walton   Wotton, Albert

                          Robson, (Patton) Edward

   

   “They grasped the miracle of sacrifice”

   

   The 1949 Order of Service gives Ranks and Dates at School:-
   

   F./Officer   Thomas A. Akenhead     1935-1939

   Major        Douglas Atkinson       1925-1926

   Sergeant     Robert J. Bailey       1933-1938

   Lieut.       John Bambrough         1925-1928

   F./Sergt.    Albert V Barkle (sic)  1926-1930

   Sergeant     Leslie A. Brown        1932-1939

   –            Robert Cobb            1915-1918

   Sergeant     Charles D. Curd        1935-1941

   Private      Raymond Davison        1930-1933

   –            John W. Dixon          1933-1938

   Sergeant     Sydney A. Errington    1928-1933

   F/Sergt.     James W. Gowans        1933-1938

   A/C.         Frederick G. Groundon  1931-1937

   Sergeant     Robert Hewitt          1932-1934

   F./Officer   Thomas W.W. Hodgson    1933-1938

   Sergeant     Leslie Hogarth         1928-1933

   Sergeant     Maurice Hull           1935-1937

   Bomb.        Kenneth Jackson        1928-1934

   Sergeant     Athol H. Jennings      1933-1939

   Sergeant     R. Eric L. Johnson     1932-1939

   Sergeant     William Kelly          1929-1933

   F/Sergt.     Robert H. Little       1933-1940

   L/AC.        Charles Lowery         1933-1936

   L/Cpl.       William Miller         1929-1934

   P/Officer    Jacob I Munday         1931-1937

   –            George M. Nelson       1928-1935

   F./Officer   Frederick Openshaw     1928-1935

   Sergeant     Edward (Patton) Robson 1930-1932

   Sergeant     John Potts             1931-1937

   Sergeant     Arthur Quinn           1933-1938

   –            Walton Richardson      1935-1941

   Sergeant     Henry J. Robinson      1929-1934

   Sergeant     Thomas W. Robson       1932-1934

   –            Edward Roxby           1934-1938

   –            Walter R. Scott        1911-1917

   P/Officer    Thomas G. Shaw         1928-1929

   Sub.-Lt.     Arthur Spraggon        1928-1934

   C/O          William Stephenson     1916-1920

   Sergeant     Horatio Thompson       1930-1932

   Secd.-Off.   Frederick Watson       1927-1932

   F/Lieut.     Arthur Weston          1922-1929

   –            Cecil Wilkinson        1934-1939

   –            George A. Wilkinson    1933-1937

   Sergeant     Anthony Williamson     1927-1934

   F/Sergt.     David Winlow           1932-1937

   Sgt./Pilot   Albert Wotton          1935-1937

   

"Their seed shall remain for ever and their glory shall not be

 blotted out."

NamesR52.18

 

 

War Memorial Indexes

County Durham Index

Newcastle Index

Northumberland Index

Over The Tees Index

This is a work in progress. Interested in helping, contact 2014@newmp.org.uk 

NEWMP is a non profit organisation and we rely on donations to help us to keep the site running and updated. If you would like to donate you can do so by clicking here. Your help is greatly appreciated.

The British Library is preserving this site for the future in
the UK Web Archive at www.webarchive.org.uk

Contact

North East War Memorials Project
Bilsdale, Ulgham, Northumberland, NE61 3AR

EMAIL: 2014@newmp.org.uk

Friends of NEWMP Signup

If you are interested in the local history of the North East and would like to support the Project, you can become a Friend of NEWMP by giving an annual donation.

Join

Copyright 2024, North East War Memorials Project.
Registered Charity No. 1113088

Exploring the North East’s History
Your Search Is Underway!

Please bear with us while we retrieve the information you're searching for. With access to over 1 million records, your search results will include Memorials and Names of individuals within the Counties, Districts, and Parishes of the North East of England. We've also provided filter options to help you narrow down your search. This may take a few moments, and we appreciate your patience!

NEWMP is a non profit organisation and we rely on donations to help us to keep the site running and updated. If you would like to donate you can do so by clicking here. Your help is greatly appreciated.