Imperial War Museum

September 24th 1922

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THE BOOK OF WAR MEMORIALS

This long-awaited book has now been published and one copy of it is being sent free to the nearest of kin of each of those commemorated (83); also to each subscriber (about 400) to the War Memorial Fund. The cost of this will be covered by the Fund. There will also be about 300 copies, which may be obtained from the Controller, University Press, Oxford at £1 each. Of this £1 all but 2/- (for packing and postage) will go to the School Exhibition Fund.*

The School has bought, and will continue to buy, a certain number of copies for school prizes etc and the payment for these will go to the same Fund. The Press have agreed to keep the type standing for six months and we can have 250 more copies, in addition to the 750 that were originally ordered.

It is, I hope you will agree, a beautiful volume, bound in dark blue with designs in gold on the cover, by Leonard Campbell Taylor. A coloured frontispiece, also by him, shows a Dragon boy and girl at the foot of our Memorial Cross.

Then comes a short dedication to ‘Dragons of all generations,’ then a photo of the Cross and the list of the 83 names in alphabetical order. The poem ‘Two Voices’ by David Brown (killed 1916) serves as introduction to the memorials which follow, each illustrated by a photo of the boy as a Dragon, as well as one or more in later life.

At the end is Leonard Taylor’s coloured cartoon, ‘Peace.’  I hope parents will give their sons the opportunity of reading, or hearing read aloud, these splendid lives. They are better than any sermon.

* This is to assist parents of boys in the school who are unable to pay the ordinary fees. Their circumstances are such it that would otherwise be impossible for a boy to remain at the School, or to go on to a Public School; in addition, there are at least two sons of Old Dragons killed in the war for whom we shall wish to provide Preparatory School education without charge.

* * * * * *

A bound copy of ‘The Draconian, 1914-18,’ was sent by request to the official Historian of the War, who acknowledged it in a very kind and appreciative letter. We have also received the following letter, and in reply are sending a copy of ‘The Draconian 1914-18,’ and also a copy of the ‘War Memorials.’

Dear Sir,

With reference to the book 'The Draconian, 1914-18' I venture to 
ask if you will honour the Imperial War Museum with a 
presentation copy of this work, to be placed among the records 
in the Library.

Yours faithfully,

J.H.H. Dare (Capt)
Librarian

April 19th 1916

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For those of you still struggling with your ‘Liddell and Scott’ to interpret the inscription on Roger Mott’s “Balkan find” (see previous post), ‘The Balkan News’ comes to your rescue:

“We present our readers with a translation, as we fear that the original text might be Greek to some, not to say all, of them.

‘The city (erected this tablet in honour of) Manius Salarius Sabinus, the head of the gymnasium and benefactor, who very often in times of dearth sold (corn) far below the market price, and when the armies of the Lord Caesar passed through, supplied to their stores 400 bushels of wheat, 100 bushels of barley, 60 bushels of beans and 100 firkins of wine at far less than the market price, and contributed 370 francs towards the repair of the gymnasium, and at the festivals gave gratuities to the tables of the councillors and ex-mayors and to those citizens who shared the banquet, and in all other respects frequently proved of service to the city. Pereisi as son of Phila, who is also called Biesias, and Herod, son of Beithys, supervised (the memorial) in the year 269.’

Some contractor, this Sabinus! We don’t fancy we have come across any of his descendants in Macedonia today. If there are any, we should like to meet them…

The inscription seems to belong to 123 A.D., and the Caesar referred to  would in that case be Hadrian, that much travelled statesman-emperor who paid a visit to Britain and organised a strong defence line to rescue northern England from the depredations of the savage Scot.”

An interesting discovery by Roger Mott and the Royal Scots Fusiliers. Hopefully the tablet will find a safe home and that we will all be able to inspect and enjoy it one day, when the war is over.