A group of former John Lyon School pupils are preparing to travel to Belgium to honour fellow Lyonians who lost their lives during the First World War.
Members of the Class of ’76 will unveil a commemorative plaque at St George’s Memorial Church in Ypres on 14 October. They will also lay wreaths at the Menin Gate and launch a website telling the individual stories of the school’s fallen alumni.
The project comes during a significant year for the Harrow school, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary. The Class of ’76 is also marking 50 years since its members left.
Scott Paget, an Old Lyonian and one of those leading the project, said the original idea had been in the back of his mind since 2019.
Before retiring, his final role involved setting up the project function for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
An idea shared at an Old Lyonian dinner
The project began to take shape in April, when around 30 members of the Class of ’76 attended an Old Lyonian dinner.
Scott proposed placing a plaque in St George’s Memorial Church to the current Old Lyonian President, who was also part of the Class of ’76, and the head of John Lyon School.
“From that dinner the domino effect began.”
Members of the year group donated towards the plaque and raised more than the amount needed. Seven former classmates will now travel to Ypres with a small group from John Lyon School.
The addition of a QR code to the plaque led to the development of a dedicated website. Visitors will be able to scan the code and learn more about the former pupils being remembered.
The website has been crafted over the past three months, with members of the Class of ’76 lending their diverse skills to the project. Their contributions spanned website development, military and civilian research, video production, and an original soundtrack.
Special thanks go to Paul Raby, Tim Redman, Peter Ulrich and Kath Shawcross for their pivotal roles in bringing the vision to life.
Its sections explore the pupils’ stories, photographs, burial and remembrance locations, historical data and an earlier John Lyon School project discovered during the research.
The lives behind the names
The team has so far researched around 70 per cent of the 60 former pupils included in the project. Each completed entry tells the story of an individual life, rather than simply recording a name.
“The main thing would be how just like us these boys were, some sportsmen, some musicians, some academics, all with parents, all with siblings.”
Those researched served in the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force and Australian Army. They fought in campaigns on the Western Front, in Mesopotamia, Africa and the Middle East.
The team has also located the resting place or memorial for each of the former pupils researched so far.
Scott said the work had revealed another side of the conflict: the effect it had on the families left behind in Harrow.
Some families lost two sons, while others lost two sons and saw another return home injured.
“The collective grief around Harrow must have been immense, multiply this by the Country and you realise the nation was truly in mourning.”
Personal stories uncovered
One former pupil whose story particularly stayed with Scott was Kenneth Asher, who was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916.
A living relative was located and provided the team with letters and photographs. Among them was an image of his original grave marker, dating from before the Commonwealth War Graves Commission was established in 1917.
Another story to stand out was that of Eric Stearns.
“The other would be Eric Stearns as we have photos of the 1909 & 1910 football 1st XI and sportsmen always resonate with me.”
The photographs offer another reminder that those killed had once been ordinary schoolboys with friendships, interests and ambitions.
Memorial service and Menin Gate ceremony
A memorial service will be held at St George’s Memorial Church at 2pm on 14 October. The plaque will be unveiled and its QR code activated, making the website available to visitors.
At 8pm, the group will attend the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate. Wreaths will be laid on behalf of John Lyon School, the Old Lyonian Association and the Class of ’76.
The group will also visit cemeteries and memorials on the Western Front, including Thiepval, where former John Lyon pupils are remembered or buried.
Photographs of headstones and memorial inscriptions taken during the visit will later be added to the website.
Mrs Rose Hardy, Head of John Lyon School, said: “This project has been a deeply moving journey for John Lyon School. Discovering the stories of our fallen Lyonians in the archives has brought our history to life in a profoundly personal way. It connects today’s students directly to those who walked within these same walls and made the ultimate sacrifice when their country called on them. Honouring our heritage is at the very core of a John Lyon education, and this important event only serves to enhance our appreciation of our school’s rich past.
“We will stand together in Ypres, alongside our current pupils and alumni, to unveil a commemorative plaque and lay a wreath at the Menin Gate, in a monumental moment of reflection and respect. This trip, and the legacy it will leave, ensures that the sacrifice of our former pupils will never be forgotten, and that their bravery continues to inspire our school community for generations to come.”
A lasting legacy for the school
Once completed, the website will be handed over to John Lyon School as a digital archive and educational resource for present and future pupils.
The Class of ’76 will also be named on the plaque alongside the school and the Old Lyonian Association.
For Scott, the project has brought his former classmates together in a new way, five decades after they left school.
“The Class of ’76 are forever bonded by something other than going to the same school all those years ago.”
He added: “It has literally been very humbling and an honour to work with very passionate people all focused on giving back life to our Alumni who made the ultimate sacrifice all those years ago.
“I truly believe out of the darkness comes light even if it’s 100+ years later.”
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