Page 38 - OM Newsletter 2024-2025

Eighty Years On:
Remembering VE Day and
Malvern's Wartime Legacy
Thursday 8th May this year marked the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, commemorating the end of the Second World War in Europe on 8th May 1945.
The Second World War was a period of profound upheaval for Malvern College. Requisitioned twice by the government, the school was forced
to relocate on both occasions. In 1939, as war broke out, the Admiralty took control of the College's premises and Malvern temporarily moved to Blenheim Palace. On returning to Malvern in 1940, the school was again displaced at the direct order of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, to make way
for the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE), a vital wartime government agency.
With just one week’s notice, Malvern College found a home at Harrow School in London, despite the city facing ongoing bombing raids. Meanwhile, back in Malvern, the TRE played a pivotal role in the Allied victory, developing radar technology that proved decisive in the war effort. The College grounds also hosted a contingent of American and British scientists, while a nearby listening post at Guarlford contributed to intelligence-gathering operations. Echoing the famous claim that "Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton", it is no exaggeration to say that radar - and in some part, victory - was forged on the playing fields of Malvern.
VE Day in 1945 brought with it an outpouring of public celebration. At that time, Malvern College pupils remained based at Harrow. In his memoirs, then- Headmaster Tom Gaunt wrote of the "festivity in the Town" and praised the boys' conduct, noting that their behaviour earned admiration from local residents.
John Burton (5.45-49) recalled the day with fondness: “In my third term on VE Day we were allowed time off and could join the celebrations in the town. Somewhat later Winston Churchill came to attend a Harrow School function. Two friends and I positioned ourselves where we thought he might appear - and sure enough, he emerged with the Headmaster. He seemed amused to see three Malvern boys, and we were convinced he winked at us. That, of course, made our day.”
While VE Day was a time of jubilation, it was also a moment of solemn remembrance. The Second World War claimed the lives of 258 Old Malvernians. Their names are enshrined on the Roll of Honour in the College Chapel, a permanent reminder to their courage and sacrifice.
MalvernatHarrow House9
Malvern at Harrow High Street Headquarters
Malvern at Harrow House 3
ARCHIVES