Gordonstoun yng Nghymru / Gordonstoun in Wales

As the Second World War intensified in 1940, so did the military threat on the Moray Firth and the reality of a depleted Gordonstoun community. The reduction of at least 15 staff was in part due to the internment of a few German staff, as well as a number of masters joining the British Forces. Unfortunately, four pupils had also been sent for internment due to their nationality. By the very nature of a Hahnian education, all the boys of Gordonstoun were well versed in the skills of mountaineering, navigation and sailing. This then led to a suspicion amongst some in the wider community that a school led by a German could be utilised by the enemy in the event of a German invasion.

Kurt Hahn listed four reasons why moving the school away from Moray might be a good idea.

• With an increase in military activity along the coast, the school buildings may be commandeered for military or hospital needs.
• It would be foolish not to rule out that the area, with that increased activity, could become a region of war, see increased bombings and potential invasion.
• With the knowledge that the safety of children had been entrusted to the school (there was a growing anxiety among some parents about transport in the event of an invasion and the remote location), an alternative location must at least be considered.
• Suspicion and rumours about Hahnian education, and Hahn himself, in a location close to a potential invasion site opened the school community up to even more misinformation.

Lord Davies, a parent of two boys at Gordonstoun, was encouraged by Kurt Hahn to offer the use of his Welsh estate for the displaced school. Despite the estate not being quite ready for new tenants, undue haste meant that parents were informed immediately and the advance party was on its way to Llandinam, Powys, by train, a week later.

The journey south had, coincidentally, already commenced for the junior boys, who rode their bikes south to various locations, escorted by staff. Stopping for extended breaks at places such as Laggan and Kinloch Rannoch (often mentioned as an idyllic holiday period for the boys), the journey also took advantage of the train from Newtonmore to Dalwhinnie. Various groups of boys had departed Gordonstoun at different times and on different routes and at Pitlochry they converged to continue the journey by train.

With the estate not quite ready and a steady increase in both staff and students, Lord Davies asked Kurt Hahn not to send any more boys for now. Hahn, not being someone to be deterred, assured him all would be well and sent for more boys! More accommodation was needed though, with the two original houses, Plas Dinam and Berthddu, already being full of boys, staff and equipment. Lord Davies approved the erecting of a marquee and one or two tents on the lawn at Plas Dinam and the traditional Gordonstoun programme resumed in its new surroundings. In time, more buildings were acquired (such as Bronfelin and Broneirion) to accommodate both the living quarters and activities of the boys and staff, as well as renting rooms in local homes. There came a time when the needs went further and The Hut was built by boys and staff.

Suspicion had followed them though and one paper published the rumours they had tried to get away from, including saying that most of the students were German. Lord Davies and the school’s solicitors were informed and the next day the same paper printed an apology letter stating that the majority of the boys were of British parentage.

The local Welsh community were soon placated with the arrival of a willing force of boys that helped the farmers with hay making and harvest and fought fires. They were welcomed into the local Home Guard (despite the Moray section being doubtful of them), set up an Air Training Corps (ATC), continued Watchers (Coastguard in Moray) and used the school Bloodhounds to rescue locals on a few occasions. This deeper connection with the local community; being within a large village, playing local schools and clubs in sport, visiting a variety of churches weekly and employing locals, gave Gordonstoun’s time in Wales a deeper understanding of local communities.

Wales may have occupied just five years of Gordonstoun’s 90 years, but it has left a lasting legacy that is still felt. Not just by the school, but organisations and people around the world.

Plas Dinam

Anyone familiar with Gordonstoun in recent years, knows Plas Dinam as the Principal’s house. The house is named after the main house that Gordonstoun occupied in Wales. It was a large house filled with fine furnishings and books that were removed to the garage building to save further damage (a settee having already been damaged by some boys). A chlorination system was fitted, after testing found the water could be contaminated by sheep on the hills above. As well as the music room, dining room, library, studies and classrooms on the ground floor, the upper floors housed dormitories and flats.

Summer school

Despite only having arrived at Llandinam a few months earlier, Kurt Hahn ploughed ahead with a Summer School. Based on his County Badge syllabus, 61 boys learned first aid, ropework and orienteering, with expeditions and some evening lectures. The school cutters had been brought down to Wales, but the nearby lake proved too shallow and sailing was investigated further afield. Gordonstoun boys were joined by young army recruits, HMS Conway cadets from Liverpool and boys from London clubs. Gordonstoun students were used to these activities, which were initially hard for the others. However, by the end, all the boys were sorry to leave having thrived with the team competitions and activities. The first Gordonstoun Summer School was a success and paved the way for the world renowned Gordonstoun International Summer School that still operates today.

Steinway piano

When the school moved into Plas Dinam, they also gained the use of three fine pianos. One of these pianos was a Steinway. A connection that is being resurrected 85 years later as Gordonstoun becomes an ‘All Steinway School.’

Service and the addition of the Fire Service

Service to others was always a vital part of Kurt Hahn’s educational vision and it was service that really grew during Gordonstoun’s time in Wales.

Back in Moray, the first service had been The Watchers. However, this was not so useful at inland Llandinam. The concepts and drill were continued though, with termly inspections from the Cambrian Division of HM Coastguards. When sailing resumed, and buildings acquired 34 miles away at coastal Aberdovey, they were a big part of the new Outward Bound Sea School.

A student called Stephen Philp (1937-1941) had been part of The Watchers at Gordonstoun. Stephen, when at home in Surrey, had joined his father in fighting fires. In the 1930s, Stephen’s father and uncle had started a voluntary local fire brigade that was often called upon during the war. When Stephen returned to Gordonstoun in Wales in September 1940, he brought with him his fireman’s uniform. At Llandinam he found a similar need for a volunteer Fire Service and set to work convincing fellow boys to be trained by him and an ancient Austin 7 was bought for £8.

By the summer of 1942, Stephen had convinced The Fire Force Commander of their capabilities and the Llandinam Station of The National Fire Service (NFS) came into existence. Initially, the idea of a Fire Service wasn’t taken seriously by others in the school, but, after seeing the boys’ commitment, a helpful win at a pump competition (against professionals) and fighting incendiary bomb fires in the hills soon changed minds. Boys, staff and locals trained alongside each other and the NFS Llandinam Station’s reputation soared.

When Gordonstoun returned to Moray, they took with them The Watchers, The Fire Service, and the ATC. The Fire Service was accepted as an official station, but this time it was just the school community that made up the crew numbers.

Outward Bound Trust

In the 1930s, Kurt Hahn introduced an ethos of physical education to Salem. This programme was then developed further when he founded Gordonstoun in 1934. Hahn advocated for the expansion of his outward bound style of education and service into local communities such as the pupils at Elgin Academy. This is one of the largest factors in the development of the Moray Badge, which later developed into the Duke of Edinburgh Award by HRH Prince Philip, Gordonstoun’s 10th pupil.

While in Wales, the Moray Badge was not forgotten and in fact, it had gained attention with the advent of war, as its many advocates suggested a nationwide application of the scheme. Gordonstoun’s summer school was set up to demonstrate the benefits of such a scheme. The Moray Badge developed into the County Badge (to be less location-specific) and the Conway Badge (for those on HMS Conway). Incidentally, the association of the HMS Conway school ship with Gordonstoun during the 1940s (with training, lessons and seamanship) was mooted as a likely reason for Gordonstoun surviving the war financially.

In 1941 the County Badge Experimental Committee was formed, the Gordonstoun schooner Prince Louis sailed from Hopeman to Aberdovey (inspiring a novel called Venturer, Top Secret) and additional staff were found. Lawrence Holt, whose company owned the Blue Funnel Line, was concerned that many young seamen were surviving attacked ships during the war, only to die through a lack of survival skills. He asked Kurt Hahn and HMS Conway to come together to pool their educational experiences. Thus, The Aberdovey Sea School was formed with the financial, staffing and vocational support of the Blue Funnel Line. The first Outward Bound course commenced in October 1942, with a previous Gordonstoun staff member, Bobby Chew, seconded from the Army as Housemaster.

The name Outward Bound was suggested by Lawrence Holt as a nod to the nautical term for sailing from a safe harbour. The sea skills aspect of the curriculum was quickly added to and included expeditions up Cader Idris, fire fighting, first aid and other aspects of the County Badge syllabus. The Blue Funnel Line continued to financially support the Outward Bound courses, but after the war, and Gordonstoun’s return to Moray, a new setup was needed so that additional funding could be sourced and the courses could grow. The Outward Bound Trust was established in April 1946, with a Sea School at Aberdovey, and nearly 80 years later it has centres in 35 countries, across six continents, and has benefitted 1.2 million people.

It is safe to say that the evacuation of Gordonstoun from Moray didn’t dim the shine, or pause the growth, of Kurt Hahn’s educational vision. It enabled him to develop, cajole and bring into fruition so much more than a boarding school. Without the evacuation to Wales, Gordonstoun may not have had a Fire Service and the Outward Bound Trust may not have been born.

With the return to Moray, Gordonstoun boys and staff continued in the same vein, with their hard work required to return the main house and grounds to its former standard. But, that is a whole other story….

At Gordonstoun, values like service are a central part of life, helping to shape our students into tommorows changemakers. To learn more about how our values influence every aspect of life at Gordonstoun, get in touch, or join us for a Virtual Taste of Gordonstoun Webinar.