How splendid is this Dover Sports cap?
(Click it to see it in microscopic glory!) It was awarded to Alan Victor King while he was in the 1st XV Rugby team, and his daughter sent us this photo in order to find out more about it. Alan was in School House from 1929 to 1933 and was also a House and School Prefect.

Do you have any photos of Dover College memorabilia? Please send them to us!

Alan Victor King - 1916-1994

Funeral Information

John Turnpenny’s funeral will take place at St Mary’s Church, Cannon Street, in the precinct off Market Square, Dover. Arrangements are as follows:

• Place: St Mary’s Church, Dover
• Date: Friday 11 November 2011
• Time: 12 o’clock
• Dress: John wanted no black ties and a cheerful service.
• Refreshments will be served in the Parish Hall afterwards.

An obituary will appear in the Times and the Telegraph tomorrow and also in the East Kent Mercury and the Dover Express.The Mercury will also contain an article about John.

The Funeral Directors are Farrier and Son, Dover

Family Flowers only; donations to RNLI Dover.

[Please login to the Members site to see personal tributes to John Turnpenny]

Some press notices in Dover newspapers (large PDFs):
This is Kent
Kent Online
Dover Mercury

Captain Geoffrey Michael CORNISH RN (rtd) on 12^th June 2011 aged 86. Private Cremation followed by Thanksgiving Service at a later date.

Geoffrey was in Priory House from 1939 to 1942. Born in 1925, House Prefect, Hockey X1, Tennis V1, Squash Team, 2nd WW RN Eng. HMS Liverpool 47-49, Submarine Service from 1950. Sqn Engineer Officer, Third Submarine Sqn, Commander, married 1950. His wife Margaret predeceased him. They had two children Richard and Nicola.

As in Telegraph Announcements

Marjory Wright (wife of Leo Wright, Housemaster in Priory and Head of Modern Languages) has died aged 96. The funeral will be held on Friday April 1^st at 11.30am at St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church, Temple Ewell, near Dover.

More information for those that need it from Marjory’s daughter Kathy_Warrender@hotmail.com or Patrick_dudgeon@hotmail.com

ECCLESHALL – MARGARET, Beloved wife of George and aunt of Victoria and Sally.  After a short illness, on 21st February aged 93.

Private family Cremation followed by Thanksgiving Service at St. Matthews Chuch, Surbiton on 17th March at 2 p.m.

Donations, if desired, to RNLI c/o Alan Greenwood & Sons, 259 Ewell Road, Surbiton KT6 7AA.  Tel. 0208 399 4455.

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Lt Col GPT [Pat] Carpenter MBE late KEO Gurkha Rifles died on 12th December after a brief illness.

Pat was at Dover College from 1940 to 1944, was Head of School and played in XV, XI and 2nd hockey. He also won the Evans Classic prize.

He leaves behind his children Mark, Jacqeline and Tricia.

Obituary for Philip Bycroft Saul (Dover College – School House 1946-51)
Born Rochford, Essex 19.02.33
Died London Bridge Hospital 15.11.10

1946: front row, 6th from left - click to enlarge

Philip Saul was the third child (younger son) of John and Juliana Saul. His father was a solicitor in Lincolnshire but the family was originally of farming stock. Aged seven, he was sent to board at Hurst Court preparatory school in Hastings, but was soon evacuated to Wrekin College, where his older brother was a pupil. After his Father’s premature death from an illness suffered since the trenches, Philip’s Mother went cap in hand to Dover College to beseech them to take her promising young son. He was awarded a scholarship and excelled academically. Accelerated to take the Higher School certificate a year early, Philip then became head boy and achieved the extraordinary feat of passing A levels as well, in the first year of their existence!

1947: front row, 6th from left - click to enlarge

1948: 4th row back, on left - click to enlarge

Following school, where he had served in the CCF, Philip joined the Royal Engineers (a family tradition) for his two years National Service and then, typically, displaying the sense of responsibility and duty which informed his whole life, he joined the Territorial Army. He served as a volunteer for at least ten years achieving the rank of Captain.

In 1953 Philip went up to St Edmund Hall, Oxford to read law. During this time, he consolidated his already considerable prowess in sailing and shooting, picking up a half blue in each. His academic results were very creditable, as he was awarded a second class honours degree in 1956. Apocryphally whilst skating on the frozen Port Meadow in January 1954 he also met Jane May who was to become his bride, mother of his five children and life-long companion. They married on 31st July 1956 and Jane predeceased him by almost four years, after fifty years of marriage.

1949: 3rd row back, 2nd from left - click to enlarge

After graduating, Philip was articled to a small firm of Solicitors in Lincolns Inn and on qualifying took a conveyancing job in Southend. He was admitted to the Roll on 1st October 1959. His career was varied and interesting and he moved from Southend to London in the mid 1960s to take up a position as Company Secretary to the Triumph Investment Trust. The 1970s were a turbulent time in the Stock Market and the company folded as a result of significant investment losses. Philip, typically sanguine, joined the Mayfair firm of Eric Levine and co and started practising commercial law. During this time, he met Geoff Stringer and they agreed to leave and start their own firm.

Stringer Saul opened for business in 1978 and soon grew into a very successful and well-respected practice under Philip’s watchful eye. Despite an attempted merger, which was then demerged, the firm thrived. Sadly Philip suffered several bouts of ill health in the 1980s and 90s, forcing his early retirement, although he remained a partner until 1998.

1949: 1st row of sergeants, on left - click to enlarge

During his life, Philip achieved outstanding success in Match rifle, including competing for the Chancellors Challenge Plate at Bisley as an undergraduate in 1955, then winning the Queen’s cup in 1963 and the 1200 Club Salver, the Stamford Young trophy and the Dram Cup in 1986. A member of the English Eight and the Stickledown club, he was a keen competitor who in later years, took to making his own ammunition to achieve the results he sought! He shot for England on eleven separate occasions between 1963 and 1992. He served as Treasurer to the National Rifle Association from 1990 to 2001 under the Chairmanship of John de Havilland.

1950: 2nd row back, 3rd from right - click to enlarge

1951: 2nd row back, 5th from left (Head Boy)

He was also a keen sailor in his youth and then became a competent and fearless skier. He enjoyed music, singing in the South West London Choral Society, and serving as Treasurer of the Wagner Society for many years. Never one to shirk responsibility, following retirement Philip continued to act as the Secretary or Treasurer of a number of organisations always supplying his shrewd legal advice and meticulous attention to detail to any problem that arose, uncomplainingly, free of charge and with charm and wit.

Philip’s sense of humour was witty, dry and also tinged with the nonsense of the Goons, Edward Lear, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, the Two Ronnies, and Michael Flanders and Donald Swann. Philip deplored poor use of the English language and kept his own vocabulary sharpened by completing the Times crossword puzzles. He also relished really difficult Sudoku puzzles! These characteristics all influenced his five children enormously and his ambition and determination have been passed on through them to the nine grandchildren! He will be sorely missed by friends, family and colleagues alike.
Dorothy Pooley – 18.12.2010

John Turnpenny made Freeman of Dover (click for larger image)

Mr John Turnpenny, formerly of Crescent House (1937-1941), was recently granted the honour of  Freeman of Dover by Dover Town Council. He and the two other recipients were the first towns people to receive this award for over 40 years.

John Turnpenny, an Old Dovorian (1937 to 1941), has lived in Dover for the majority of his life. He has been a Governor of the College, a local businessman (the London Road funiture firm Turnpenny Brothers Ltd), a Justice of the Peace and has a long standing commitment to many societies and local interest groups such as the Gateway Residents’ Association and the Chamber of Commerce.

Whenever possible he attends and supports the OD golf matches, and all the College concerts held in the refectory. John is the regional organiser for the Dover Group.

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Kenneth Barnes M1943-49 passed away peacefully on 1st July 2010.

Ken had returned early from a short Holiday in Kent and suffered breathing difficulties, he was taken to the Great Western Hospital in Swindon late on Wednesday night. He passed away peacefully on Thursday afternoon with his Family in attendance.

A service will be held at St Lawrence’s Church, Hungerford, on 19th July 2010 at 1.30pm.

June 15th 1914-July 23rd 2006

[Written by an Old Dovorian]

Otway commanded 9 Parachute Regiment at the Normandy landings on D-day on June 6^th, 1944. He trained his 700 men on Salisbury Plain prior to the invasion, setting up a replica of the German Gun Battery he was to attack  (which comprised 4 heavy guns in concrete casemates) to train his force.

The German Gun Battery, located at Merville-Franceville-sur-Plage, near the eastern bank at the mouth of the  river Orne,  commanded  both the landing beaches and offshore sea area where the ships of the invasion fleet would arrive.  It had to be put out of action.

The RAF flew the regiment  in at night some hours before dawn  in both DC3 aircraft and gliders.  Unfortunately , due to a combination of anti-aircraft fire and poor navigation, the men were dropped over a wide area, many distant from the objective.  200 men dropped into a swamp created by the Germans who had flooded the marshes, and were never seen again.  Most of the heavy weaponry and BangaloreTorpedoes essential to breach the barbed wire were lost.

So only 150 men arrived at the RV.  Nevertheless,  Otway ordered his men  “get in, get in’.  They did so and disabled the guns for a sufficient time to allow the invasion to land successfully, although the Germans reoccupied the battery afterwards.  Of the 160 men who reached the target and went in, only 65 emerged.

Otway was afterwards awarded the Distinguished Service Order.

The Gun Battery remains and has been preserved by the French.  The 4 casemates seem little marked on the outside, but inside there is massive scarring caused by hand weapons  and grenades which indicate the fierce hand to hand fighting which must have taken place.

The French have turned the site into a museum, but the writer’s comment is that they have concentrated on creating a tourist attraction as much as a memorial.  A DC3 aircraft is on display.  A Video is on sale and there is the usual shop. This  above bust of Otway has been put up in the area. Otway’s medals are on display.