Page 2 - Martin Holmes - Old Derbeian Article

Derby School & WWII
The war’s most direct personal consequences were mostly to do with the dissolution of the family as both my sisters got moved into war work which took them away from home; firstly Olga in the WAAF (Women’s Auxiliary Air Force) and later Deborah in the Inspectorate of Fighting Vehicles. Family life as we had known it at Uttoxeter Road was gone for good..
Incidental consequences related to the strictures of rationing, the blackout every night, the effects of air raids and, as the war drew to a close, the contact with prisoners of war
Amber Valley Camp
Amber Valley Camp was some 17 miles (27km) north of Derby; tucked
away in the valley of the River Amber and about a mile away, by winding country road, from Woolley Moor village. Woolley Moor was only a pub (Napoleon’s Arms), a shop and about half a dozen houses. The nearest “town” was Clay Cross, another few miles further on and up on the main road north.
As I remember it, we were transported from Derby to Amber Valley Camp by bus, having assembled on Arthur Street at the back of the school, just round the block from North Parade. Later on in the war we always went to and fro by train, in designated carriages added to a scheduled service.
On that first day we de-bussed and were left standing on the rough gravelled “roadway” through the camp that led down to the river, across to the farm on the other side and then on through it to the road from Woolley Moor to Stretton on the main road north.
Left with nothing particular to do we got restless and a bit of gravel throwing arose; nothing vicious, just light flicks onto the back of others necks to startle them. As luck would have it my target turned out to a sixth form monitor and I was on report before I knew it!
The camp itself, as it was, wouldn’t seem out of place in the NZ of that era. A series of weatherboard clad single storey buildings spread out over rolling ground with trim lawns. Its intended purpose was to be a summer holiday camp for poor city children; much like the NZ Health Camps.
It was no doubt very good for that purpose but as we were to find out it was a rather different matter when it came to winter living with deep snow about for weeks on end. The spread out nature of the camp and the well ventilated and poorly heated quarters were then something of a challenge! I guess it was what people tend to call character forming to have to rise on a winter morning and dash a hundred yards to the ablution block to toilet before dressing for breakfast. I just found it damn cold, unpleasant and chilblain forming!
Entering the camp from the public road you were at the high point of the camp on its gentle rise up from the river. To the left of you was the