Romford is part of the London Borough of Havering and has been since the 1960s when it was removed from the County of Essex to form part of Greater London. Most of the local schools have names relevant to their locality (Wykeham, Royal Liberty and so on and so forth) or, if catholic, after saints (my own school was named after Edmund Campion a Jesuit priest executed in Elizabethan England).
Two schools, however, have names with distinct American connections. A primary (elementary) school in Crahnham is named after James Oglethorpe, the founder of the state of Georgia. He lived in Cranham and is buried in the local church.
In the 1970s the Secondary school (ages 11-18) Suttons was renamed Sanders Draper. Who on earth was Sanders Draper and why change the name? Raimund Sanders Draper was born in 1914 to a wealthy American family. While the USA was still neutral he came to the UK to join the Royal Air Force and was commissioned as an Officer in September 1941. After serving in various locations as a fighter pilot his squadron moved to RAF Hornchurch in March 1943. RAF Hornchurch was an important fighter station. Its squadrons had fought with distinction during the Battle of Britain. Suttons School was located next to the station’s perimeter
On 26 March Sanders Draper took off from RAF Hornchurch. Whilst approaching the school, his engine failed. He had the decision of baling out and to let the aircraft hit the school or to save the school by staying with the stricken aircraft . He chose the latter and fortunately missed the school. However in the following crash and explosion, Sanders Draper was tragically killed.. The School is thus named in honour of a man who in the circumstances did the right thing although the choice was fatal
Sadners Draper’s commander, MG Donnet, when interviewed some years ago said “I remember Sanders Draper (known by us in the RAF as Elmer) who was a fine officer and a very cheerful friend. He was a USA citizen who had joined the RAF early, and who remained with us after the USAAF squadrons arrived in England. We felt greatly the loss of our friend amongst the pilots of the squadron. He had an aunt who was a famous actress, she attended the funeral and remained in touch with the pilots. [His aunt was British actress Joyce Grenfell] The fatal accident was due to engine trouble shortly after take-off. He remained at the controls of his aircraft trying to avoid the school known to be on the trajectory of the aircraft."
A play called “the Good Intent”(the name of a local pub frequented by the pilots). It was performed at the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch in 2003. The following link contains recollections from people who were children at the school on the fateful day.
Sanders
Draper
Oglethorpe
Hornchurch
4 comments:
Back when the men were men, and sacrifice came as second nature to them.
Veeeeery intriguing, jams. As always, I learned a little something new.
Just another little bit of forgotten history ewbl. Well not totally forgotten any kid that goes to that scholls will be told the story. The school is actually at the top of the street where my parents still live. RAF Hornchurch is long gone. It finally closed in 1964 (must check that date). A lot of the area is now a housing estate (what would be called a subdivision in the USA I think) The rest was left to go wild and actually forms part of a Country Park.
"housing estate", I like it. I may incorporate that into my vernacular because it sounds so much more gentell than telling people that I live in the crap hole subdivision at the end of the road. Now, I can tell them, "Why yes, I do reside in that crap hole housing estate at the end of the road. Yes, the one with the clear cutting and concrete as far as the eye can see".
We don't have zoning regulations outside of the city. That means, the forest that once greeted the entrance to our neighborhood has been systematically wiped out over the past six months to make way for "luxury" apartments. We have $700-850,000 homes in the front of our neighborhood, with $80-90,000 homes located directly behind them. We live in the mid range priced homes right in the middle. In the back though, we have government subsidized housing which is a mini ghetto. It's all very strange.
Ah it is a case of two nations divided by a common language!
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