The following book review was unfortunately printed in the Obituaries section rather than the OB News section of the recent Bristolienses. Our apologies for the error.

‘1st class cadet in ATC’ reads David’s report in 1948. 

Thirty years after another BGS boy was killed by the Red Baron and with the Second World War a vivid memory, the BGS Air Training Corps was flourishing, partly because it was very good fun, and partly because training could have turned into the real thing at any time. 

David Scagell has just written ‘Recollections of my life’ and presented a copy to the School Archives. It’s a good read and a well written account of a very interesting life, including becoming a Companion of the Imperial Service Order in 1990. 

As to BGS, he soon realised he was fortunate to attend such a good school, but ‘it took some time to adjust to the expectation of three hours homework each evening and at the weekend too’. He was reprimanded for watching soccer at Ashton Gate rather than watching the School team playing rugby, but his report describes his rugby as Good – until it is overshadowed by the ATS, and he spends his school holidays at RAF Halton, RAF St Eval and Aston Down near Stroud where ‘we have to get up at six o’clock every morning and wash in cold water for breakfast at seven.’

He enjoyed flights all over the country, and from Filton he flew in a two seater Tiger Moth, the Great War biplane, and he remembers that the plane took off across the width of the then famous Brabazon runway. Incredible.