Memories of the evacuation and before by Joy Millson (nee Ling)
'Battersea Central School 1929-1943'
During the 1920's certain 'higher grade' schools were recognised by the LCC and called Central Schools. The headmaster advised by the Junior School Heads personally selected the scholars and based on scholarship examinations, taking those whom had not quite reached the standard for Grammar Schools.
At the time, Grammar Schools would only have been able to take about 3 or 4 or less from each Junior School. These chosen pupils were expected to stay until their sixteenth birthday and had the opportunity of learning the same subjects as the Grammar School pupils except perhaps for the Classics. Therefore, the teachers were experts in their subjects, mostly with appropriate degrees and qualifications.
The first Headmaster was Henry Wootten, who retired in 1929 and was replaced by my father Albert Ling. My father was appointed for his organising ability and technical knowledge. After being demobbed from the Royal Engineers in 1919, he had become the Head of a Technical Evening Institute, part of the development of Adult Education.
This became the SouthEast London Technical College after my father moved to Battersea. He was very impressed by the standard of work done by the boys when he first visited Surrey Lane. For instance, they already did their own printing and the phrase 'printing on the premises' became a family joke.
Some of the staff already there in 1929 was Messrs Mason, Turner, Knyston, Hodgkinson, Woods, Stocker and Jack White and Brown. The first appointment made by Mr. Ling was Stanley Raine, in charge of Science, who soon got his Doctorate, known as Dr. Raine officially but 'Bill Raine' to his colleagues.
A brilliant up and coming PE specialist Williams followed him. I have a photo of his boys demonstrating to some high ups, including the Duke of York, later King George VI. Others I remember were Cossam and R.Beasley (Carpentry), Halliday and Always (French) Protheroe (Science) H. Taylor, Hawkes (Geography) Broadhurst (Art).
At that time the school was occupying Surrey Lane School. Top Floor - Boys: Middle Floor - Girls; Ground Floor - Infants, but a new purpose built Central School with modern facilities was being built in Culvert Road, due to be opened in 1940!
However, we know what happened in August 1939. It was a Government decision to evacuate children whose parents were prepared for them to go, to less vulnerable districts from the main built-up areas and on the 1st September, the boys, girls and infants set off with their gas masks and 'iron rations', in crocodiles to Clapham Junction, with mothers waving them goodbye, not knowing where they were going or with whom they would be living.
It must have been a terrible decision for parents to make. We were put on a train and travelled non-stop to Petersfield where we were unloaded and walked to the Parish Church awaiting distribution. I believe the girls stayed in the town of Petersfield and the boys were divided between a coach/s going to Hawkley and another to Rowlands Castle barely ten miles north of Portsmouth! Here we were dropped at the Parish Hall until homes were found. Some settled happily in their new environment but naturally some had their problems. Younger brothers or sisters who continued their education in special groups accompanied quite a number.