THE SONS OF FALLEN SOLDIERS. (Hansard, 27 July 1915)

§ LORD SOUTHWARK

My Lords, I rise to ask His Majesty's Government whether special steps are being taken to provide for the education of the sons of soldiers who have fallen in the war, and whether it is intended to add to the number of boys being educated in the Duke of York's Royal Military School, the Royal Hibernian School, and the Queen Victoria School; further, whether it is proposed to add to the number of this class of school in different parts of the country.

I hope your Lordships will agree that this is not only a most appropriate question at this time, but that it deals with a subject which demands immediate and sympathetic action. This terrible war 714 is leaving thousands of boys fatherless, and it is of the utmost importance that there should be no unnecessary delay in educating and training the rising generation whom we desire to see following in the footsteps of their fathers. None of us can doubt that for years to come after this great war we shall have to keep up a large and very efficient Army. My special object in asking this Question today is to draw the attention of your Lordships and of the Government, and I may say the attention of the country generally, to these schools, and to have it recorded in our Parliamentary Debates that these schools exist, for I believe there is great ignorance in the country with regard to some of these ancient institutions of ours, and I do not think I should be very far wrong in saying that not only are there many thousands of our fellow-countrymen who know nothing about these schools, but that there are even members of the Government who might very well receive a little instruction concerning them.

The work in connection with these schools is carried on quietly, modestly, and successfully, and little is heard of their doings. I recollect, when I was Paymaster-General and had the honour for five years of presiding over the governing body of the Duke of York's School, that surprise was expressed that I was seldom on my legs in reference to the work of my department, but the fact was that the work was carried on so successfully and so well that it did not lend itself to Parliamentary criticism, and therefore there was no occasion to deal with the subject. Having in my former capacity as Paymaster-General been chairman of the governing body of the Duke of York's School, I know pretty well everything in connection with that institution; but in my Question I refer also to the Royal Hibernian School, and to the Queen Victoria School which has been opened in the last few years at Dunblane. These schools are conducted on the same lines as the Duke of York's School, and are admirable institutions. The governing bodies are to be found in the Army List, and you have only to look at the names to ascertain that they are composed of the elements that make admirable governors and administrators. The commandants of the schools are very able men who carry on the work most efficiently under their respective governing bodies.

715 The education given in these schools is of an elementary and of a military character. The boys are trained to look after themselves almost in the same way that a Regular soldier is, having regard, of course, to the ages of the boys. As a result of the education, training, and discipline which they receive, the lads make perfect soldiers, most efficient noncommissioned officers, and often attain to the rank of commissioned officers. They are much sought after, as those connected with military circles know, by commanding officers. If asked, "Have you a Duke of York's School boy in your regiment?" the answer generally is, "Yes, and he is the best lad in the regiment." The number of boys being educated in these schools is as follows—in the Duke of York's Royal Military School, 510; in the Royal Hibernian Military School, 410; and in the Queen Victoria School, 275.

The boys enter these schools between the ages of nine and eleven; they are elected by the governing bodies and are all sons of old soldiers, those who have lost both parents being admitted without any competition. The leaving ages are fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen. Those who leave at the age of fourteen go straight into the Army and continue their elementary and military training, and in addition are taught tailoring and bootmaking. The boys in the band are allowed to continue in the school for another year; they leave at fifteen, and go straight into Army bands. The other set of boys, who remain until the age of sixteen, act as monitors, and when they reach sixteen they are entitled to enter an examination and become students in training for posts as Army schoolmasters, and if they succeed they are continued in the school and in a certain way act as schoolmasters. They assist in the education of the boys and at the same time get an efficient training themselves. The average number of boys who leave the Duke of York's School annually—and I suppose the same average would apply to the other schools—is about 120, and of these 90 per cent.—I believe that this year the figure was 94 per cent.—join the Army. There is no compulsion about it; they join of their own free will. The boys are all sons of old soldiers, but they are free to go into commercial life or any other branch they like. The enthusiasm, however, of these lads for the Service results in their joining the Army 716 to the extent, as I have said, of 90 per cent. At the present moment 67 old boys of the Duke of York's School are serving as commissioned officers, 35 having gained commissions since the beginning of the war, and 1,555 old boys are now serving either as non-commissioned officers, drummers, bandsmen, or privates; and in the past the Duke of York's School has produced at least two General officers.

My desire has always been to see the number of boys being educated in these schools increased. Unfortunately for over a year during the time I was Paymaster-General the number of boys in the Duke of York's School was diminished, I believe because of the opening of the new Royal Victoria School in Scotland, which now has 275 boys; but we pressed to have the number at the Duke of York's School increased, and before I left office an additional number had been taken in. The governing bodies of these schools elect the pupils from the lists sent to them, but they are only able to elect one out of every six eligible candidates. The officers of the Army and the Navy are trained at Sandhurst, Woolwich, and. Osborne, and I want to see the boys of our old soldiers trained in larger numbers at schools of the character to which I am referring and of which I should like to see an additional number in the country.

The old headquarters of the Duke of York's School were at Chelsea, but a few years ago the site or the building was considered unsatisfactory and the boys were removed to Dover, where splendid buildings have been erected with more than 130 acres of ground—indeed, every accommodation that any public school boy could wish to have. At the moment, unfortunately, in consequence of the war the school buildings are being occupied by Regular troops. The Duke of York's boys commandeered a school at Tonbridge about this time last year when they were turned out of their own, and the other day I was happy to see, when I was in Essex, that they have now found admirable quarters in school premises connected with Poplar. It is a school very much of the same character as the Duke of York's School. The Poplar authorities turned the girls out of their portion of the building so as to make room for the boys of the Duke of York's School. By the courtesy of the commandant, Major Dyke, I had the pleasure 717 the other day not only of seeing the boys but of saying a few words to them. I found at the school great sorrow at the death of their late commandant, General Nugent, who had been killed in the war; but I was pleased to find the boys in splendid health and condition. The school has been worked admirably under Major Dyke, who for the past twelve months has filled the post of commandant. He was at Chelsea when I was chairman of the governing body, and I know what a live interest he takes in the lads, and I was glad to find that everything was going on so well at the school.

What I am anxious about is that the House of Lords and the country generally should know that we have institutions of this sort. We were talking yesterday in this House about the Board of Chelsea Hospital. I will not say it was Greek—had it been so your Lordships would have understood it—but it certainly came as news to some members of your Lordships' House that there was such a body as the Commissioners of Chelsea Hospital, who have been looking after the pensioning of the troops and have done such admirable and successful work for so many years. I have taken this question up because I know the merits of these schools. You could not have a better training than that given in them for your non-commissioned officers, and I suggest that the number of boys trained in this way should be increased. Take the Duke of York's School at Dover. It was originally intended that there should be ten blocks to contain sixty boys each, making a total of 600; but as a matter of fact only eight blocks were erected, and the number in the school at the present moment is 510. By the erection of more blocks a large number of additional boys could be accommodated in that school with very little additional expense—in fact, hardly any—from the educational point of view.

What I suggest is that His Majesty's Government should give consideration to the question of what they are going to do for the sons of the soldiers who have fallen in this war. Some provision will have to be made for them. We know that some mothers are at the present moment in receipt of such large allowances that there is a tendency to be careless as to sending their boys to school, but I hope that will not be allowed to continue. There are certain other mothers who find, now that 718 the husbands are away at the war, that their sons are giving them trouble, and they would like to see them in some well-regulated school. These sons of soldiers have much of the fighting blood in them. We used to have lectures delivered at Chelsea, and the enthusiasm of the boys and the military spirit which they displayed would have gladdened your hearts; and you have the proof of the existence of this spirit in the fact that they voluntarily join the Army to the extent of 90 per cent. when they leave school.

We have now a school in England, one in Ireland, and one in Scotland. I suggest that we should have a school for Wales, and I also think it would be a great advantage if similar schools could be established in great counties like Lancashire and Yorkshire and in other great centres. I see in the House my noble and learned friend Lord Haldane. I had the pleasure of addressing him on more than one occasion in connection with the Duke of York's School when he was at the War Office. He knows my views, and he can ascertain from the military authorities what their views are with regard to the value of the Duke of York's School. But at that time, no one anticipating the present war, more attention was paid to the question of officers than to that of men. We have, however, discovered in recruiting these millions of men who have now been enrolled that the real deficiency has been in the matter of non-commissioned officers and sergeants to drill recruits. Whatever happens, we shall be compelled to maintain a much larger Army—I am sorry to say so—for years to come than we have maintained in the past. Therefore I say take this opportunity of making extra provision for the sons of our soldiers and sailors who lose their lives in this war, and I commend the matter to His Majesty's Government as one which should receive their immediate attention. I do not think any apology is necessary for having brought this question before the House this afternoon. It is not one of the questions that ought to be postponed, for the sooner we set to work in this direction the better. I understand that my noble friend the Paymaster-General is going to answer for the Government this afternoon. All I can say is that I hope my successor as Paymaster-General has more power than I had, and if he has the power of influencing the authorities in keeping such a question as this alive I hope he will do it.