Saltus Grammar School - Yearbook (Hamilton, Bermuda)

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10 deeply grateful, Toeing fully conscious that, especially in these difficult times, his encouragement can materially assist us to continue our progre£ ' s of recent years, whatever obstacles may be thrown in our way. A ISIT OF MAJOR E. BUTTON, ACTING-GOVERNOR OF BERMUDA. On Friday, Nov. 3rd., we were honoured by the visit of Major E. Button, Acting-Governor of Bermuda. A Guard of Honour, provided by the Cadet Corps was drawn up on the Parade Ground to receive him. The Acting-Governor then made a tour of the school and saw the boys at their work. There followed a General Assembly in Hall at which the Acting-Governor addressed the School. He praised the smart appearance of the Cadets, and impressed on us the fact that both the Cadet Corps and the organisation of the school as a whole gave the boys a chance !to learn that quality, so necessary just now, responsi- bility. He went on to relate the history of a aeries of difficult incidents on the Abyssinian frontier, where a young officer had shown a mix- ture of tact and firmness that saved the situation. That young officer is now Sir John Waddington, a Saltus Old Boy. At the conclusion of the Assembly the Acting-Governor watched the boys give a display of P. T. on the field. EMPIRE DAY CEiLEBRATION. The School held i ' ts celebration of Empire Day on Thursday, May 23rd. Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Kennedy-Purvis, Commander-in-Chief of the America and West Indies Squadron of the Royal Navy, had kindly consented to give the address. On his arrival the Admiral in- spected the Cadet Guard of Honour, drawn up on the parade ground to receive him. At the Assembly in Hall !the I. O. D. E., to whose efforts the celebration of Empire Day in Bermuda is largely due, was represent- ed by Mrs. Leon Powell. In his address the Admiral stressed the fact that it was only the defeatists who had any apprehensions about the ultimate issue of the present conflict. Britain had twice at least in her history been faced by as great a danger of invasion, when Drake scattered the Spanish Armada, and when Nelson defeated the fleet of Napoleon. She had survived those crises by the merit of her navy and v ould do the same again.

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9 We have also heard from J. D. Misick, at Ampleforth College, and from F. J. Leseur on H. M. S. Conway. Both seem to be doing well and enjoying life. Misick was present at his sister ' s wedding in Eng- land. There is a very large number of Saltu Old Boys in the B. V. R. C. and B. V. E. Many of them constantly visit the School. In so many it would be invidious to mention names, but we should like them to know that their continued interest in the activities of the place is greatly appreciated. H. F. Stephens, who joined th-e B. V. R. C. soon after the outbreak of war, has just been accepted for training as a pilot under the scheme operating locally. We offer him our congratulations , as competition was keen and we know that his heairt has been set on learning to fly for some time no,w. THE VISITS OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR. Since His Excellency arrived in Bermuda last November, we have been honoured by two visits. Both have been of an informal nature, and he has been content to walk round the school and see us at work and play. As a matter of fact, he pro(bably has obtained a much more accurate impres ' sion in that way than if he had arrived with all the pomp and circumstance of an official visit. His Excellency came first on November 28th. He visited every classroom, and it was obvious from the beginning that his interest was by no means perfunctory. After school he watched the Cadet Corps? parade, and, later £ till, the band practice. At the end of the afternoon he informed the Headmaster that he had thoroughly enjoyed the visit and had been, impressed by the cheery keenness, of the boys. He parti- cularly praised Aitken and the Band. At the beginning of May His Excellency came again, and made an even more thorough tour of inspection than before. He surprised and impressed a number of boys by remembering them and their activities from his previous visit. He had a special word of approval for Petty ' s management of the Library, and gave expression to that approval toy a most generous gift of books. Two or three days later, at his invitation, Adams and Petty went up to Government House for tea, and His Excellency added E»tiil further to his kindness by autographing the books which he had presented. For this , and for his interest in the school generally, we are

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11 On Empire Day it wasi fitting to remember the Navy ' s connection with the Empire. Sailors had first settled the distant outposts of the world, and later had defended those settlements and kept intact the vital links which bound them to the Mother Country; and the Navy preserved the life of the Mother Country, without which the Empire would distintegrate. There was, after all, this ' encouraging consideration at the present time, that Germany ' s drive to prosecute hostilities on land was a con- fession by them that they had already suffered one great failure in !the war, for, at the beginning, they had made immense efforts to blockade Britain ' s sea-borne trade. The proceedings closed with the sdnging of the National Anthem. LECTURE BY LIEUT. -COMMANDER J. B. HEBAPATH. At the beginning of February we had the pleasure of hearing from Lieut-Commander Herapath how the Dusseldorf, later renamed the Poland, had been captured ' by H. M. S. Despatch. Lieut-Comman- der Herapath had been in command of the Dusseldorf from the coast of Chile to Bermuda. After foiling an attempt on the part of the Germans to reach territorial waters, the Despatch sent a boarding party on board. These men were only just in time to save the ship, as bombs had been set. By prompt and courageous action the boarding party prevented these from doing serious damage, although one bomb exploded while the party was looking for it. The Germans apparently expected harsh treatment, and were quite friendly when their fears were allayed. The only punishment ever inflicted on a German sailor was the .washing of the laundry when that was necessiary. They had a triumphal passage through the Panama Canal, where vast numbers of people had come to watch them and to take photo- graphs. After that the rest of the journey to Betrm ' uda was without incident. The School displayed very evident interest throughout the re- cital, and the cheersi which they gave at the end were proof positive of their appreciation of the performance.