The War Years Part 3 - Mr A G Donaldson -Wyre Farm's First Head Teacher 1940 - 42

 Mr A. G. Donaldson - Wyre Farm Camp School First Head Teacher 1940 - 42.

Photo supplied via photo research by former pupil Peter Dawson

Mr A G Donaldson was Wyre Farm's first headmaster and set the bar for discipline at the camp school at a time when 'keeping safe'  was most essential given the onslaught of the Battle of Britain.

Piecing it together from a series of press cuttings and other sources, we can present a portrait of Wyre Farm Camp's first headmaster and his wife. It may be sketchy, it might not be totally accurate, and there are certainly questions, but it comprises of all we know at the time of writing.

We can safely say that Mr A. G. Donaldson was an established and well respected Coventry Head Master in the 1930's / 40's considered capable of commanding and pioneering a new Coventry Camp school for evacuees.

There seems to be two entry points into the job of first head teacher at the new Wyre Farm Camp School. - 

Stan Atkins, one of the first intake of pupils to the new camp school, told the Coventry Evening Telegraph on February 22nd 1983 that - 

" The headmaster was Mr Donaldson from Broadway School (Earlsdon in Coventry), and in order to keep his charges in order he had the assistance of masters drawn from Coventry schools - Mr Morris, Mr Windridge, Mr Breeze, Mr Carr, Mr Dey, Mr Parkes and Mr Griffiths."

I don't actually know, but I'm assuming Broadway may have been his first headship, but it seems that his transition to Wyrefarm Camp School was preceded by being asked to head up an earlier incarnation of a Coventry Camp school out at Town Thorns near Easenhall.

As mentioned in a previous post both the Town Thorns website and Kelly's directory for 1940 cite Town Thorns as the earliest incarnation of a Coventry Camp School in 1940, with Mr GA Donaldson as head or 'Teacher in charge', temporarily after Coventry industrialist Albert Herbert "gifted Town Thorns to Coventry Education Authority to serve as a camp school for boys under the framework of the Camps Act of 1939. Initially functioning as an educational facility for local evacuees and children in care, it was overseen by Mr. G. W. Donaldson, who acted as "teacher in charge." " https://www.townthorns.co.uk/1940-1952

Of course it was only temporary as the Coventry was offered the Wyre Farm facility which they finally accepted and of course the potential for bombing raids on Coventry as an industrial town were looking imminent. And as we've also seen in a previous post - 

"Coventry Standard 22-6-1940
“The Primary and Post Primary schools sub-committee reported having considered the status

and basis of salary for the head te4acher of the camp school at Cleobury Mortimer.

The sub committee interviewed seven candidates for the post of temporary headmaster and recommend that Mr G. W. Donaldson, teacher in charge at Town Thorns school be appointed for the post as from June 17th 1940 and that the director be authorized to appoint a successor to Mr Donaldson as teacher in charge of Town Thorns school.”

People have speculated on the main school blog about why Mr Donaldson left after two years i.e. 1942 - was he ill or was called up.. The same cutting tells us "the appointment be designated a temporary headmaster, at a salary in accordance with grade two of the Burnham scale - a salary of £480 per annum".

"Mr Donaldson, known for his use of the cane set the bar for the school discipline which continued to be followed after his departure."

From Stan Atkins Coventry Evening Telegraph on February 22nd 1983 -

"Mr Donaldson was "typical of the school masters of the period - strict but fair. On one

occasion, after a pitched battle between the dormitories he dispensed summary justice by lining the school up, and canning every tenth boy. No one complained, except perhaps the unfortunate tenth boys!

After the November blitz on Coventry (during which the boys witnessed from a distance of 50 miles, the bombing in the night sky of their home city and wondered if their parents, friends and relations had survived) Mr Donaldson "returned to Coventry to gather what news he could and this he passed on to the assembled school"

MRS DONALDSON

In the cutting from Coventry Standard 22-6-1940 which announced that Mr Donaldson would be the first and temporary headmaster, they also mentioned possible employment of a school matron -

"The director reported as to the desirability of appointing a nurse - matron for the camp in preference to assigning the duties of matron to the wife of the headmaster and it was resolved that a nurse-matron be appointed for the camp at a salary of £110 per annum plus board, lodgings and laundry."

It's not clear if a nurse-matron had actually be appointed at this stage but The Midland Daily Telegraph visited the camp two months later in August 1940, and they reported -

" A word about the one person who has done more than any other for the joy and comfort of the boys - Mrs Donaldson, "Mother" to every one of the boys 160 boys and wife of the Headmaster. For 16 hours a day, when the camp began and now for a full 12 hours a day, Mrs Donaldson is looking after the welfare of the lads. Youngest to oldest, if they have any troubles at all, the boys fly to her, and, in spite of the fact that she does it all without salary, she loves her job.

Mrs Donaldson waved a hand at 50 or more boys playing a variety of games. Most of them wearing nothing more than shorts and shoes, yet their sun burned bodies did not feel the coolness of the hillside wind so apparent to we city folk.

Fresh air, good food and regular sleep did that" she said firmly "Life at the camp is equivalent to a good boarding school - and there are 40 vacancies."

At first the lads were viewed with suspicion by the locals, but they soon got used to the invaders. In an area with many apple orchards, there was scrumping. the farmers, like Mr Donaldson dispensed their own justice. A clip round the ear was usually sufficient. The odd serious misbehaviour was dealt with very severely by Mr Donaldson."

Mr Donaldson was employed on a two year contract and left in 1942, replaced by Mr B Martin. We have no further information this headmaster.