Page 23 - Potted History 2017

World War 11

1933
One of those to join the dwindling
boarding numbers was Miles De Courcy
Clarke. Boarding, in those days, was not World War II Years Ian Keys
for the faint-hearted as described by then Merv Parry (1924-31)
thirteen year old Miles in one of his early pictured with his wartime uniform Ian Keys, another Haleian pilot serving in
letters for his parents, which in part read: England, was shot down over France in
1940s 1942 and was lodged in Stalag Luft III too.
‘… Last night we had new boys On the outbreak of World War II, Haleians He took part in the so-called ‘Wooden
boxing and there was good fights. again joined in great numbers, 278 into Horse’ escape from that encampment,
Mr Pervis, our new master who the army, 82 to the Royal Australian also in 1944.
used to fight for Melbourne Uni, Navy and 223 to the Royal Australian Air
was the referee. At the finish there Force. Twenty others served in British or Mervyn Parry
was blood all over the floor and W L (Bill) Brine American units. Mervyn Parry was the Haleian who was
walls. I fought a boy call McLarty, away the longest from Australia. At the
only I was beaten. It was very close 1939 1940 outbreak of war he joined the RAF and
and we had four rounds instead 1940 was awarded a Distinguished Flying
of three to decide it … I am Chairman of the Board of Governors, W.L. (Bill) Brine, had begun Rohdes Scholar No. 6 Headmaster Buntine joins the AIF fighting Cross after his first ‘tour’. He was then
writing in pencil because I have the search for a new site in the middle of the 1930s. Brine heard - Colin C Clarke (1936) in N. Africa. Charles Hadley appointed transferred to Training Command,
just had my fountain pen and my of a farm where aboriginals used to camp near Herdsman Lake. Acting Headmaster until Buntine resumes instructing on Oxfords, Wellingtons and
microscope pinched … In company with the then Headmaster, Dr Arnold Buntine, the at Hale in late 1944.
pair examined the site and recommended it to the Board of Stirlings until 1943. For this duty he was
I am playing tennis a lot now Governors. In June, 1939 an agreement was entered into for Hale Former Master-in-Charge of the English awarded the Air Force Cross in a task that
he described as being more dangerous
and am pretty good. I beat School to purchase the ‘Herdsman Lake’ land of 48 hectares for Department, Ralph Honner, won a Military than operational flying over Germany.
a nephew of Jimmy Mitchell 2,260 pounds. Cross for gallantry in North Africa in Then, as an acting Wing Commander,
yesterday 6-5. It was a good game 1941, and then the Distinguished Service he was transferred to 106 Squadron
but the chap I played cheated so I Planning and preparations were begun to facilitate the move Order for his leadership of the 39th Militia flying Lancasters, completing another
always had to be on the alert.’ 7 to the new site, but in the interim World War II broke out, the Battalion on the Kokoda Track, and then at
Headmaster went off to war in the Middle East and the prospects the Gona in 1942. operational tour and earning a bar to his
of an early transfer of activities rapidly lost way. It was to be DFC.
another two decades before the move to Wembley Downs finally
7 Miles de Courcy Clarke letter in Edgar, From Slate to Paul Royle
Cyberspace, pp. 166-167 took place. Hugo Armstrong
Paul Royle (High School, 1923-27) crash Another to win two DFCs besides Parry
landed his aircraft in France on 18th was Hugo (‘Hoogie’) Throssell Armstrong,
3 September (Black Sunday) May 1940 and was taken prisoner and named after his famous uncle, Hugo
eventually lodged in Stalag Luft III. He
took part in the ‘Great Escape’ in 1944 Throssell VC, as a fighter pilot with the
This evening, the Prime Minister of Australia, Robert Gordon and was one of those who escaped the 50 Royal Air Force. By early February, 1943
Menzies, made the following announcement: reprisal executions by the Gestapo. Amstrong had been in command of No
611 (RAF) Squadron for five months and
‘People of Australia, it is my melancholy duty to inform Paul was welcomed back into the Hale had scored 12 confirmed ‘kills’ with a
you officially that, in consequence of the persistence School fraternity at an Old Boy assembly string of probables plus damaged enemy
by Germany in her invasion of Poland, Great Britain has in 2002 - after an absence of 75 years! aircraft to his credit. He had just been
declared war upon her, and that, as a result, Australia is He had been reported as killed in awarded a bar to his Distinguished Flying
8
also at war.’ 1940 and the School had prepared his Cross when he lost his life over the English
commemorative plaque for placement Channel on the 5th February, 1943. In all,
in the Memorial Grove before he made Haleians won a total of 19 Distinguished
Flying Crosses for gallantry in the air.
contact again.
8 R. G. Menzies in W. J. Edgar (1994), From Veldt to Vietnam, Haleians at War, Wembley
Downs, Old Haleians’ Association, p. 79.
Captain of School, Kingsley Rudeforth (1996-2002)
welcomes Paul Royle (1923-27) back into the fold.