Wyrefarm's First Headmasters - Mr Donaldson and Mr B.Martin

Mr Donaldson 1940 - 42 - 1st Headmaster

The school's first headmaster was Mr Donaldson 1940 - 42 and was the pioneering headmaster that got the school started. We don't know what happened to him, it's possible he got called up in 1942 as did several other teachers at the school as the war effort developed but we can't be sure. It is thought that he was keen on the cane and discipline. 

Mr B. Martin We don't a lot about Mr Martin either but what we have managed to glean is here.

Ex-pupil Ken Short (who was at the school from 1948 to 1952), tells us -
" What I remember of Mr. Martin was that he liked to run a tight ship. He stayed in the background, Mr. Morris was his figurehead. Mr. Martin was unapproachable, mild mannered but still a disciplinarian. It was always Mr. Morris who seemed to organise things, one hardly saw Mr. Martin except for morning assembly. Even Sunday services at Cleobury Mortimer or Nene Savage was led by Mr. Morris, never Mr.Martin. I can never remember Mr.Martin strolling around the school, only Mr. Morris. Oh yes one other thing, on sports day Mr. Morris was an ever present, no sign of Mr. Martin"

We think Mr Martin was head teacher from 1942/3 to 1948/9 (Ken short tells us it was 1949 when Mr Martin died ( Reg Holliday thinks he retired in 1948, so we are not sure which is right!). Mr Martin was replaced, we think, by Mr Davies who was it seems headmaster from 1948 / 9 to 1952/3 when his deputy head - Mr Morris took over and Mr John Lowe became deputy head until 1957 when he left to become headmaster of Willenhall Wood Junior. 

Mr Morris was Headmaster 1953 to 1960 and oversaw the transition from Wyre Farm Camp School to the City of Coventry Boarding School in 1957. Deputy head Mr John Lowe was replaced by Mr Lambley in 1957 and was deputy until 1964 when he was replaced by Ken Williams.

During the war years the intake of boys gradually increase as shown on this BBC article - 
" Records show that the boys were mainly from schools in the town and factory areas of the city and by December 1942, 283 boys had been relocated to Wyre Farm. It is assumed that most of the boys had lost their homes, or parents, or both. By the end of May 1945, 584 boys had moved through Wyre Farm.

Through the post war years in to the early 1950s as the city was rebuilt and food rationing was eased the intake of boys continued and by April 1948 over 100 boys had been accommodated at Wyre Farm. By January 1950 this number had increased to over 1200. From 1950 onward the records show that boys were accommodated for shorter periods of time perhaps out of term time to give them a change from city life and chance to enjoy the fresh air and countryside of Cleobury Mortimer." http://wyrefarmed.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/war-years.html

"When I first attended Wyre Farm Camp School (W.F.C.S.) the headmaster was Mr. Martin, I think he died in 1949 and Mr. Morris became headmaster."
However, we do have some conflicting accounts on this site -

In this Coventry Telegraph article  Back in time to Schooldays at Wyre Farm 

Reg Holliday who was there 1946 to 50 remembers

"two headmasters: Mr Martin who retired in 1948 and Mr Davies. They lived in the relative luxury of a spacious bungalow in a quiet area just inside the school entrance."

According to Reg, Mr Martin 'retired' as opposed to having passed away and he introduces yet another potential headmaster - Mr Davies!

A further confusion occurs in the press report of Mr Morris's death - here

You'll notice it says that 'Mr Morris became headmaster in January 1953, on the retirement of Mr B. Martin'


However, Ken Short says
"As far as I can remember Mr. Morris took over from Mr. Martin long before 1953, I left school in 1952 and Mr. Morris had been head for at least a year or two. As to Mr. Martin, died or retired, it was announced at the first assembly of new term that Mr. Morris was the new headmaster, rumour was of Mr. Martin's untimely death. As for him retiring in 1948 that is wrong, I remember Mr. Martin, a small grey haired man, and I never started at WFCS until 1948, and he was head while I was there for at least 18 months or so, I believe this will confuse you even more!"