Description
At Ermysted’s we are incredibly proud of our long history of educating pupils here in Skipton, dating back to the late 15th Century.
Over the years many former pupils have gone on to serve their country in the armed forces, not least during the two world wars. Once such Old Boy was Jack Petty from Cross Hills, who attended Ermysted’s from 1904 to 1912 and during his school years was part of the school’s rugby, cricket, cross-country and athletics teams, was a member of the debating society and performed in drama productions and music concerts. He was also Head Boy in 1911-12.
When war broke out in 1914 Jack enlisted, aged 19, in Skipton. Throughout the Great War he was part of the Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment. He rose through the ranks from Private to Major and was the first Old Boy to be awarded the Military Cross, in 1916.
We know quite a lot about his experiences during the Great War from letters that he sent back to school here in Skipton, several of which were published in the school’s Chronicles magazine at the time. Post-war he worked for 26 years for the Forestry Service in India and later Pakistan. For this work he was awarded the OBE and was also made a Companion of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (CIE), before his tragic death in an air crash in Pakistan in 1948.
We recently learned of an opportunity to acquire Jack’s collection of 8 medals – including his Military Cross, OBE and CIE. We feel that it would be brilliant to be able to put them display at Ermysted’s along with his story to help to demonstrate the many and varied achievements of our former pupils.
We are running a fundraising campaign to cover the cost of purchasing the medals, and we would be hugely grateful for any donations that you are able to make to support this.
A donation of £20 or more also secures you a free copy of the 200-page book ‘A Grammar School At War’ written by former Head of History Steven Howarth, which tells the story of Ermysted’s involvement in the Great War. It details every pupil, former pupil and member of staff who served their country in the war.
Please note: Books will be posted out in November at the conclusion of the fundraising campaign – please ensure you include your postal address at checkout.
