Peter Warren

March 7th 1920

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It has been an entertaining week.

On March 1st, I had the great pleasure of entertaining Captain Harry Thuillier (brother of the late Capt. George Thuillier) on his return after four years’ service in Mesopotamia and the East, together with his contemporaries at the OPS who happened to be in Oxford and able to attend a dinner at the Clarendon.

The Clarendon Hotel on Cornmarket Street.

Many old incidents of school life were recounted, and many yarns of the War.

The following were present: Charles Pittar, Hugh and Geoffrey Brown, Peter Warren, Mark van Oss, Stopford Jacks, Pat Campbell, Oliver de Selincourt, Dick Alford, Jack Richards, Cedric Horton, Felix Keyworth, Bill Bailie, Lindsay Wallace, GC, Hum, and possibly one or two more.

*  *  *  *  *  *

This was followed, on March 4th, by a trip to Cambridge to meet up with Old Dragons there. I am grateful for an (anonymous) account of the evening from one of our kind hosts:

“We had a very pleasant dinner on March 4th, and were delighted to see the Skipper, Hum, G.C., and Lindsay Wallace. Their sporting effort was much appreciated, because their Ford broke its heart – or big-end, or something – between the two universities, being so disgusted at being driven from one to the other, and they had to leave it in the ditch, and commandeer a more neutral one. However they arrived, and we are told that they were in nine o’clock school next morning. Well done!

On the evening the following appeared: AC Kermode (Clare), KS Dodd, R Butler (Trinity), FP Burch (Caius), SP Dobbs, TL Thomas (St. John’s), MC Church (Selwyn), J Merrett (Emmanuel), RS Nettlewell (King’s) and the Rev. RGD Laffan (Queen’s).

AC Kermode was in the chair, with the Skipper next to him. The Navy surrounded L Wallace and made him drink Bubbly. GC was encompassed by correspondents, and we thought we saw one of the present Headmasters sitting next to a Bolshevik.

The Chairman proposed the health of the School, and expressed the very great pleasure all the ODs at Cambridge felt at seeing the four representatives of the School amongst them.

The Skipper replied, thanking ODs for inviting them, and saying how much they liked visiting Cambridge. Having seen the beauty of King’s College Chapel by moonlight, he would not call it a rival, but rather a sister university.

The Rev RGD Laffan, unfortunately, had to go off early to see one of his theological students boxing in the Varsity contest, which had stupidly been arranged for the same evening.  Also Maurice the sailor (who last boxed to the detriment of his handsome countenance and general feeling of steadiness on, or off, the Norwegian coast), went to witness the administration of black eyes.”

 

January 1st 1919

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Capt. William Leefe Robinson VC (RAF)

Having heard only a couple of weeks ago that he had returned in good health, it is a shock to read of the death of William Leefe Robinson, which occurred yesterday.

It is clear now that the information was wrong – he was in a weakened state as a result of the treatment he received at the hands of the Germans whilst in captivity (which included time in solitary confinement following his attempts to escape).

The cause of his death, however, was influenza, which we learn he had been battling for over a week at the home of friends in Stanmore near Harrow.

* * * * * *

Also in today’s newspaper is news of the safe return from captivity of Capt. Aubrey de Selincourt (RAF) and Lieut. Peter Warren (RAF).

May 24th 1917

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Every day I open the morning newspaper to read on the ‘Roll of Honour’ of large numbers of officers killed and wounded, always in fear that I shall see the name of one of our Old Boys.

I am also confronted by an increasing number of those who are pronounced as ‘Missing’. This gives hope, but the families of these men are condemned to months of uncertainty as to whether their loved ones are dead, wounded or captured. In the case of the family of Capt. Edmund Gay (Norfolk Regiment) it has been nearly two years; he has been missing since August 1915.

Now two more of our Old Dragons have joined this list.

On May 20th, Mr Herbertson received a telegram stating that his grandson, Lieut. Hunter Herbertson (King’s Royal Rifle Corps) was reported as missing, but he understands that this does not necessarily mean that he is either wounded or killed.

On the night of May 16th he went out on a patrol with two others near Cherisy (at the southern end of the Arras battlefield). None of them returned. Enquiries will be made in the hope that he was captured and is a prisoner of war.

Hunter had done two years at Balliol (reading History) when war was declared. He joined up, but whilst training he suffered a double tragedy. His father (Oxford’s first Professor of Geography) died in July 1915, followed two weeks later by his mother. Both are buried in the Holywell Cemetery.

 

Mr & Mrs Dowson have also been informed that their son, Captain John Dowson (Royal Berkshire Regiment) has been notified as “missing.”

Like Morice Thompson, he was involved in the attacks that took place on May 3rd in the Arras district, but as yet we have no further information as to the circumstances of his disappearance.

John has been a regular visitor to the school in recent times. When home on leave he was always about, ready to take a form or a game.

It is at times like this that you are glad to have a photograph that captures happier times and places to have in front of you. This is John, as the boys will remember him, and hopefully he will return to us in the fullness of time.

 

Better news was to be found on a list headed ‘Previously reported missing, now reported prisoners of war in German hands.’ Included on it was the name of 2nd Lieut. Peter Warren, whose fate has been unknown these past seven weeks.

His squadron was returning to their base on April 2nd when they were set upon by German squadron. It seems that Peter’s plane was singled one and forced to ditch behind enemy lines.

 

 

May 5th 1917

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The battle at Arras continues unabated. Indeed, a couple of nights ago (around 1 a.m) many in Oxford were awoken by the sounds of the artillery bombardment – or so it was believed to be. I did not hear it myself.

* * * * * * *

We now have more encouraging news of William Leefe Robinson. His sister has been told that a captured German airman has revealed that William is alive and is now a prisoner of war.

We still do not know the fate of Peter Warren, who has been missing since April 2nd.

The casualties suffered by our airman last month must be a matter of great concern to our leaders. The Daily Telegraph of April 27th reported a significant increase in our losses (killed, wounded and missing):  January – 56, February – 119, March – 152, April –  319.

Of the twenty or so Old Dragons serving with the RFC, William and Peter are the first to have been declared “missing” and the news of William renews our hope that Peter is also a prisoner.

* * * * * * *

It is good to have the boys back and on the very first day of term our cricket team enjoyed a match against a team of young Old Dragons who are still on holiday. We scored a creditable 63 to the ODs’ 93.

The new boys are settling in well, although there have been some tears. Indeed, I found young Betjemann crying outside the Lodge. We walked up and down the road whilst I tried to comfort him.  He does know Ralph Adams from their holidays in Cornwall, so we have put them both in Form II. Let’s hope Ralph can help buck him up.

My brother Hum got to know the Betjemanns on holiday in Trebetherick a few years ago, and hearing that John was not having a good time of it at Highgate School (where his German-sounding name led to some unpleasantness), suggested he came to board here at the OPS.

 

April 13th 1917

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The Times and the Daily Telegraph have announced that our VC winner, Capt. William Leefe Robinson (RFC) is “missing.” Yesterday’s Telegraph added that “he was believed to have been killed.”

He is the second Old Dragon airman to have suffered this fate since the start of the month.  News has reached us that 2nd Lieut. Peter Warren (RFC) is also missing. He has been at the Front barely a month.

Peter was up at Magdalen in 1914 (where his uncle, Sir Herbert Warren, is President) and being only 17 yrs old was not then eligible for service, although he did join the University OTC.

He received his commission last July and trained as an Observer with 57 Squadron. He transferred to 34 Squadron in November to train as a pilot, graduating in early February. At the end of the month he was sent to the front to join 43 Squadron.

The Warrens have close connections with the OPS. Peter’s grandmother, Mrs Morrell, lives at Black Hall (No 21, St Giles) doors away from where the OPS started.

Peter’s uncle is Philip Morrell, who was a Dragon under Mr Clarke from 1878 until 1880, when the school consisted of a few rooms at No 26 St Giles. He now lives at Garsington Manor with his wife, Lady Ottoline, and is the Liberal MP for Burnley.

 

Both the Leefe Robinson and Warren families and friends will be enduring a period of great strain until further news is received about their loved ones. Certainly it is perfectly possible that, if they came down over enemy held territory, they are prisoners of war. We will live in hope that this is the case.