Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2009 | Page 35

ISLAND HISTORY

life

Stuart Dyer, retiring Mayor and
newly elected Councilor

Log Books going back to early 1900s

As today’s schoolchildren danced round the Maypole, all the

Sept 3rd - Attendance poor owing to a disturbed night with air

adults present were aware of the history that goes before this

raids. Nurse examined all the children this afternoon. All clean.

generation. The school, like others on the Island, has been

Sept 13, 1940 - The Air Raid Warning was sounded at 1.15pm

through a testing time and survived. As this snatch of entries to

as the All Clear did not go until 1.55pm. Afternoon School

the log books shows, this is not the first rough time it has lived

did not commence until that time. The “Warning” was again

through:

sounded at 3pm and the “all Clear” at 4.10pm. As planes were

November 1939:

heard over-head the children were kept in school, and oral

Nov 1st - Today the merging of Yarmouth and Milton Schools

lessons were taken.

has been carried out.
Nov 8th - Mr Leek (assistant HMI) visited the School this
morning 10.30 - 12. He expressed satisfaction at the way in
which the merging had been carried out.
1940:
April 2nd - School re-opened after holiday. 12 Yarmouth and 5
Milton School scholars transferred to the West Wight Central
School. Now 51 Yarmouth and 15 evacuees on roll – 66 total.
April 10th - Fire-fighting apparatus received.
May 14th - School dentist. 22 children received treatment.
May 15th - Gas mask and fire drill were taken this afternoon at
3am
Jun 24th - Air Raid Shelters commenced today in playgrounds.
July 3rd - Owning to an air-raid warning at. 9.05 this morning,
all children living within 2 minutes of the school were sent
home, to return at the ‘all clear’ signal about 9.30. After this
normal work proceeded for the day.
July 4th Air raid warning at 9am. Children sent home until the
‘all clear’ at 9.30 am. Registers were marked and normal work
proceeded. Girls taken for swimming at 11.15am.
Air raid warning at 1.15pm children at school sent home.
Afternoon school commenced at 1.4pm after the ‘all clear’:
normal work proceeded.
July 8th - SAG called. Now 61 on roll. 2 more Portsmouth
evacuees returned home. Instructions received that swimming
instruction is to be discontinued from today, under Defence
Regulations.
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