John Squire 1933-1936

I was born in 1921 and attended many schools. I think I am now the oldest Old Boy of West Buckland School. I served for seven years in World War 2, including three and a half years in Burma and India. While at West Buckland, my first headmaster in 1933 was Mr Harries and then Mr Westall from Blundell’s. Later, Mr Westall became head; he was progressive, he abolished school bounds and had the school workshop built. My father broke our farming tradition and became an electrical engineer. In 1933, when I was 11 years old, he sent me to West Buckland.
 
I spent many a warm and cosy hour in the winter evenings under the expert tuition of Mr Pavey and Mr Tupman, which led to my teaching career. I suppose life was tough at West Buckland School but we accepted it like the weather and I am glad of the experience.
 
My great grandfather farmed at Accott Manor. He was descended from Gefforie and Elizabeth Squire both born in 1509 in Swymbridge Parish. His children, one my grandfather, also farmed at Accott Manor. There were three children: John, William and Mary. John was one of the first six pupils of West Buckland School and only had a short ride to the school, then at Taddiport. (My friend Jim Hawkins now lives there and the school bell still works.)

John occasionally boarded and on one occasion he and friends carted a sleeping fellow boarder outside in the dark. The poor chap was woken up by the rain in the morning. I still have John’s maths book, a ‘copper plate’ treasure.

In 1879 the family moved to Gunn. My father, John Herbert Squire, rode to school on his pony and later boarded in Courtenay dormitory. He served in World War 1 with Brig. M Roberts (an old boy and a military historian of World War 2). I had three uncles in the North Devon Yeomanry.

My mother, Elsie Symons had a brother who won a silver-plated tea pot in the Exmoor run but was sadly killed in Gallipoli.

I am afraid I was small and poor for rugby and cricket but passionate about wildlife, especially reptiles. Wildlife was abundant and we could always catch a lizard or snake in Cloquay hedge. I was wrongly accused of releasing snakes in the classroom. I think I was the first boy to be put on daily report by Mr Westall.

I then went to the Regent Street Polytechnic School of Engineering and Architecture. This was followed by a four year course at Shoreditch Training College for Handicraft Teachers. However, this was interrupted for seven years by the outbreak of World War 2.
I then qualified with a Teachers Certificate to teach Woodwork and Mathematics, and taught for 33 years at Windsor Grammar School.

I also commanded the CCF for 11 years. I am proud of the fact that I ran a successful, voluntary CCF of 100-200 cadets in the 1960s.  In 1986, whilst in retirement, Paul Thornhill, the brilliant Head of the Craft Department of West Buckland School, persuaded me to join him for two years. I re-joined the CCF under Derek Holt and took charge of shooting, including Bisley, for a while.

I am grateful for my time at West Buckland and have always supported the OWBA. Now I have limited abilities I am sure the OWBA will prosper under Neil Kingdon and Jamie Conchie.