The Slaugham Archive
Evacuees from Buckingham Gate School to HandcrossMy late father, Anthony Kent-Smith, was one of the evacuees who was billeted in Handcross and the surrounding villages during WWII. He may have been known by his middle name “John”. He passed away in 1990, aged 57.
He was billeted at Nymans with a group of other boys and their teacher from Buckingham Gate School, Mr Lambert.
The photograph was taken in 1945 at the end of the war and shows 14 of the boys with Mr Lambert. The reverse of the photograph shows their nicknames, except for Jim and Ted.
Back row: “Cheesy”, “Flapper” (my father), “Chess”, “Lumpy”, “Bumpers”, “Whiskers”.
Middle: “Tubby”, “Dely”, Mr Lambert, “Dick”, Jim.
Front: “Gammy”, “Nipper”, Ted, “Boots”.
The Large Version shows a close up.
A photograph of a reunion of “the boys” in 2004 can be seen at picture #382.
There is aother war-time photograph of the evacuees on the website, at picture #391. Post-war, a plaque commemorating their time spent at Nymans was later fixed to a exterior wall; see picture #349.
Select Open Document to view the reverse of the photograph, followed by 15 pages of vivid reminiscences from those who experienced the mass evacuation of children from the cities to the Sussex countryside nearly 80 years ago.
View Large Version
Open Document
Picture added on 21 August 2018 at 11:02
This picture is in the following groups
Schools - Handcross - Primary School and Dame's School
Schools - Handcross - Primary School and Dame's School
Hello Annette. I'm not sure if you will receive this but my name is Debbie and my late father, Terry Garner (Chess), is the boy standing next to your late father.
I would very much like to make contact with you to exchange stories, etc.
I would very much like to make contact with you to exchange stories, etc.
Added by Debbie Neale-Smith on 17 January 2021
Every evening the Colonel saw us to bed with stories of his life in India. Tiger hunting was something I remembered.