Mermite Cans

One of the duties of the boys in the 4th form was to leave the school by the back door and go the right crossing the parking lot to a NATO Mess hall. The facility was always very hot steamy and humid. People in white stained tee-shirts with white cloth hats rushed about. The two boys designated for the run would pick up the sealed mermite can and carry it back to the school and to the school basement that served as the cafeteria.

The plate and bowls were light brown and similar in texture to bakalite. The two carriers usually were responsible for serving as well. The students of the school would be lined up in the hallway on the ground floor and closely supervised by the teachers. The students would file into the basement after the mermite can was open and ready to serve.



I recall the contents were either a stew or soup. For some strange reason the split-pea and ham soup I distinctly remember but I can not recall if was because the soup was really good or terrible bad.

The picture is not of the mess hall in question but it is close. I do recall that it had 4 huge boiling soup pots .

Daphne rembered them too: "Just to let you know that I also used to collect the soup in those huge cans from the kitchens next to us, in fact I still bear the scar on my ankle where the can hit it! The soup that used to freak us out most was oyster, because it was made with mostly milk with little grey oysters bobbing around in it - gross. My next door neighbour in Italy was one of the chefs who worked in the kitchen."

More Pictures

This is the 4th Form class room in 1963. It is reversed from 1962 when I attended.

Front Row: Susan Gates, Helen Rooney

Second Row: Daphney Barker, Judy Villa, Susan Brotherton

Third Row: Peter Sutherland, Alfred Andrew, John Koumantarakis

Daphney provided some more pictures

Back Row: Flight Lt. Brotherton

Left to right: Alfred Andrew Peter Sutherland John Koumantarakis Roberto Di Giovani John Zervo

Front Row: Susan Brotherton Judy Villa Susan Gates Yvonne Philips Me Helen Rooney Patricia Ransford

Reconstructed from memory

After doing the best with what memory I have left I constructed a VR model of the school feel free to explore and send me any memories you might have and I'll update the model.

ACCESS INSTRUCTIONS
The RAF Children's School Circa 1962 virtual reality model can be accessed from the world "Harps" in ActiveWorlds (free) here are the instructrions:

• Go to http://www.activeworlds.com/
  
• Download and install the application
  
• On initial start up select "Autoconfigure"
  
• Sign on as a tourist
  
• You will arrive in AW Gate ask the Gatekeeper any questions
  
• Read the “How to move” web page
  
• Look on the left side for the Tabs
  
• Select the Worlds TabScroll down the list and select "Harps“
  Click "Teleport" on the menu bar top left
  
• Pull down to "make this my home"- The next time you turn AW on you will arrive in Harps.


• Look for a navyblue sign on the right that says "RAF Children's School Model" and click it. The sign will teleport you to the site.

An extract of an RAF Report

Peter Jones provided a copy of the Naples school inspection report from 1962 which gives a bit of info about the early days of the school when it was known as Royal Air Force Children’s School Naples. Here’s an extract:

At the time of the inspection {12/03/62} there were 69 pupils in the school ranging in age from 5 to 14 and divided into 4 classes, infant, lower junior, upper junior and secondary. The lower junior class was the largest with 25 pupils and the secondary the smallest with 9 pupils. The school is accommodated on the ground and basement floors of a building at Headquarters, Allied Forces Southern Europe.”

Old Friends Rediscovered

I was recently contacted by a person named Peter Jones. Peter is apparently researching the history of the RAF Children's School in Naples Italy. On a service called "Friends Reunited" he discovered a picture of the fourth form in 1962. I took the liberty of identifying the people I recognize from the picture.

http://www.friendsreunited.com/

Starting on the left and going right : unknown blond guy, unknown girl in a wheel chair, the guy from Scotland in front kneeling is Alfred Andrew , tthe two behind him remain unidentified behind him (the one in front may be Christopher), Felicity Ann Knight, Susan Gates Helen Rooney and Daphne.

Missing are Peter Kay and myself.,Christa, The Iceland girls Steina Hansdottir and her sister.girls and the Tucker trwins.

I am not in the picture nor is Headmaster Tucker who according to Daphne had departed the school. This is probably in theearly 1963 or Late 1992 when I had departed for school in Rome. The guy from Scotland arrived just before I left.

I and amazed that there are any pictures at all. This one is the best find ever! Thanks to Daphne!

House Pins

After I left the RAF children's school in Naples I attended boarding school at Notre Dame International in Rome Italy. During my stay there my German hat with numerous hat pins vanished. Unfortunately all of the pins related to the RAF Children's School were fixed to the hat and lost forever.

About four years ago I stumbled across a Harry Potter house pin on eBay. It was exactly the same make and model of the house pin used in the RAF Children's School. Fortunately the picture of the back of the item gave the manufacturer. It was the Fattorini Company in Manchester England.

Following several communications with the customer relations woman, she was able to locate the original work order placed by headmaster Tucker in the early 60s. We communicated for several months. Many of the stories in this blog were taken from communications passed between the customer representative and myself regarding the school and what the pins looked like. Even more surprising she had several blanks that had never been shipped. They been in a drawer with a number on them related to the original order. Based on the information on her company was able to reproduce the original enamel paint colors and faithfully reproduce the house pins. My communications with the company reminded me why I am so fond of the British. In fact our mutual voyage of discovery resulted in the company sending me the reconstituted pins as examples at no cost. These I proudly display beneath my military medals on the wall in my family room.

The Coffee Tray

In the bazaars of Turkey men carry coffee to customers often using a Turkish coffee tray. The coffee tray uses centrifugal force to keep the drinks on it from spilling. With sufficient force it is possible to swing a tray in a complete circle without spilling a drop. During the swing it is possible to look up and see the drink upside down and the liquid firmly in place.

At a party in my parents villa in Naples this was demonstrated to Flt Lt Tucker using a coffee tray my father got in Turkey. Fascinated he asked if he could have a “go”. The drink was in my mother’s best crystal and had she been aware what the men were up to nothing would have come of it. Unfortunately, it was a big party and she was occupied elsewhere and unaware. He swung the tray but when it reached the top of the Arc he stopped swinging to see if the glass was indeed upside down. When the tray stopped the centrifugal force ceased as well and the drink came straight down crashing on the marble floor of the villa. In an effort to master the swing Tucker went through several glasses.
When My mother found out about it later, diplomat that she was, she said nothing and congratulated Tucker on his final successful swing. Flt Tucker was a gentleman in every regard and I suspect his wife may have had an hand in it but that is how my mother came to own Irish hand cut crystal.

The PTA

In America the PTA is a long standing alliance between parents and teachers. In 1962 the concept of a PTA in The RAF Children’s school was a totally new concept. In fact, the idea of a PTA to Flt Lt Tucker seemed to be an excellent excuse for parties.

The first party was to be a fund raiser and it was a casino night held on the roof of the school after dark. While the concept was sound the execution was flawed. The tables were honest and the PTA lost more money than it took in.

The solution was a drawing for a case of Beefeater Gin. It financially recovered the loss and even made money but the prize was won by a Muslim Colonel...