Graham Seel, former Head of Faculty Humanities, was granted a sabbatical in the Summer Term of 2020 in order to research the stories of the Old Paulines who fell in the Ypres Salient 1914-18.

From his research, Graham Seel has produced two volumes of Scholars and Soldiers: a history of alumni of St Paul’s School and the 1st World War. Graham is happy to be be contacted about any aspect of his research into OPs and the 1st World War on spsworldwarone@btinternet.com

In 2020, Graham also delivered a virtual event for the Pauline community as part of the school’s ‘Topical Tuesdays’ series: ‘Soldiers and scholars: uncovering the stories of OPs in the Ypres Salient 1914-18’, hosted by the High Master. The recording of this event is available on this page and can be found under the ‘Topical Tuesdays’ section.

We are now able to share a digital version of both volumes of Scholars and Soldiers online, and hard copies are kept in the Kayton Library. The digitised versions are available using the below links:

Scholars and Soldiers: a history of alumni of St Paul’s School and the 1st World War VOL 1 – Graham E Seel

Scholars and Soldiers: a history of alumni of St Paul’s School and the 1st World War, VOL 2 – Graham E Seel

Roll of Honour: the 511 Old Paulines who fell in the First World War – Graham E Seel

Old Paulines who served in the First World War and survived – Graham E Seel

The work began following the marking of the Centenary of the end of the First World War in 2018.

Sunday 11 November 2018 marked the centenary of the end of World War I. Of the 800,246 soldiers who lost their lives in that war, 511 were Paulines. Before Graham Seel’s research, the number of fallen Old Paulines was believed to be 490. Chapter 6 of VOL 1, Scholars and Soldiers explains this updated number and pays tribute to the 23 Old Paulines who had not previously been counted:

1. Barrett, JFB (1894-1901)
2. Beamish, ED (1902-1903)
3. Belfield, E (1905-1906)
4. Burridge, RA (1912-1916)
5. Chappell, GH (1896-1898)
6. Fowler, FG (1882-1889)
7. Fullerton WFH (1903-?)
8. Halford E (1905-1906)
9. Hewetson CH (1889-1890)
10. Johnson, MJ (1906-1909)
11. MacFarlane, WB (1910-1910)
12. Morris, GM (1915-1915)
13. Kemp KRF (1910-1910)
14. Last, RE (1907-1909)
15. Mitton, RH (1892-1895)
16. Montefiore, GVB (1900-1903)
17. Redhead, LL (1908-1909)
18. Reeves, HC (1906-1907)
19. Riddle, GJ (1907-1910)
20. Skene, JH (1891-1895)
21. Sim, Louis St (1906-1909)
22. Southgate, LM (1906-1907)
23. Wickham JSD (1907-1910)

Graham’s work shows that two names were recorded erroneously in the Roll of Honour: Davoren, V A (SPS 1903 – 1904) and Evans, E H (SPS 1888 – 1892).

In recognition of the fact that 2018 marked the centenary occasion of the end of that conflict, a group of pupils in the Autumn Term of 2018 formed the ‘First World War Research Project’. Working under the auspices of the History Department, the project quickly unearthed some of the hitherto forgotten stories of those who fell in 1918.

This was achieved in part by using online resources such as those of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, in part by exploring the newly digitised archive of The Pauline magazine, and in part because of the work of Hilary Cummings and her team in the Kayton Library who have digitised and catalogued rarely seen historic sports team photographs.

The digitised copy of The Pauline and the War List of 1919-1920 can be viewed here. You can also view the commemorative booklet produced in 2014 by the First World War Research Project.

Working alongside the Geography Department, the Group also used GIS software to map the location of the place of internment or commemoration of each of the 490.

The Art and History departments brought together pupils in making 490 ceramic crosses, each one of these hand-made crosses bears the name of a Pauline who fell in the Great War. These crosses were planted by pupils from both Schools around the school’s War Memorial for Remembrance Sunday to create a living reminder of the supreme sacrifice made by a lost Pauline generation.

The 2018 Thomas Gresham Committee took the initiative to offer each of these student made crosses for a donation in support of The Thomas Gresham Bursary Award. (The sale of the ceramic crosses raised £26,340.) This award was founded in 2017 by four of our Upper Eighth pupils and is a wholly pupil-led bursary appeal, fundraising to provide a 100% bursary for the highest performing boy at 11+ who is in need of financial support.