Here are some reflections from John Harrison sent by email on 2nd June 2016. He was at St Michael’s during the war years:
When I was first sent to St Michael’s, it was early in the Second World War. My Mother was a widow as my Father had died in 1939. Being 8 years old, I could not quite understand why I had to go too. It was only a year later that I realized her main reason was to evacuate my person from the Woolwich in the Dock area of London during the Blitz. It was a grim introduction to St Michael’s. Severe discipline with free use of the stick, with an appointed discipline Master. Usually this created a bevy of bullies. All of the boys were continually hungry from lack of nourishment and with small portions. Supper could be a bread plate of bacon RIND mixed with lentils and one slice of plain bread. A warm drink that resembled tea; somewhat. The only chance was being picked for clearing and washing up in the Masters Kitchen. You might be lucky with some leftovers. Boys would sell the so called ‘honour,’ back to the bullies who made a profit by running the ‘Washing Up’ service. A guy called ‘Poglia’ was the arch God Father. With Fletcher and I believe, Shrubsall his enforcers. I’ll never forget those names. Its Shrubsall’s spelling of his name I’m not too sure of. They succeeded in bullying my younger Cousin, Tony Keniry, to run away, but he was soon sent back by his Mother. In the end I fought Fletcher, who was a much bigger boy, and surprise, won and he never came near us again.
With strict rationing as the excuse, well it was pretty bad, we had nothing really to eat. I never saw an egg all the time I was there, except in the Masters Dining Room, which one had to fight over it.
Then I had to contend with Father Dunstan.
In the listing on Amazon / Books under ‘John Mannering Harrison’ for ‘The Penance Walk’ are the full thoughts and experiences of my going and the stay at the college. The only photos I have were used in the book. You can look up some of the pages shown on Amazon. The synopsis on the back cover and initial introduction, can give a possible reader what the book entails, and I believe will give some of the boys (now much older) enough to want to procure a copy, apart from yourself, that is of course if anybody else is interested. And to get hopefully, to place enough copy in your magazine.
Best wishes
John
Here are some of John’s documents from his St Michael’s days:
St Michael's College, Hitchin 