When our 4th Form pupils researched the First World War Roll of Honour, we discovered many facts and figures about the boys who lost their lives. What was missing, however, was the personal. The passage of time meant this part of the story had so often been lost. Aware that a similar gap would form in relation to the Second World War, the school decided it was vital to launch a project to research this conflict, while descendants of the men who served, and Old Brightonians who attended the school during the war, are able to share their memories.

Through this project, we hope to learn more about the experiences of OBs who were here during a time we associate with life ‘on the home front’. We want to share recounts of the school’s munitions factory, with its two lathes and rota of pupils making nose caps for bombs; memories of the huge drop in pupil numbers; and recollections of air raids.