The modus vivendi at Aldenham School during that period very predictably mirrored that of English society in general, with a clearly established hierarchy whose existence and legitimacy were accepted (willingly or not) by all: or at least, by almost all. There was a place for everyone and everyone had his place.
This was the norm which applied at all levels, not only in society but also in the School and it dictated the relationship between Headmaster to Master, Master to boy and boy to boy, right down to the humble old fellow who stoked the House boiler and also cleaned our shoes. It was an inflexible system which had been handed down from generation to generation and it seemed that nothing would ever change it.
The new boy was quickly made aware that his place was near to the lowest rung of the ladder and that he had better stick there until allowed to move up. For many this restriction of personal liberty and the obligation to conform to a system of rigid discipline came as a shock, after the easy going and forgiving atmosphere of home life and the tolerant and family like environment encountered at most preparatory schools. However, there was no alternative but to conform to the system.
The war years brought vast changes to public and private morality and an iconoclast society which would consider the previous order repressive and, for that reason alone totally unacceptable today. Whether or not the correct balance between the two orders has now been reached is a matter which will be debated for years to come.
In the late 1930’s a new assistant Master, Mr X, arrived at the School to take up what probably was his first teaching post. He was tall, well built and energetic, though understandably reserved in manner towards his fellow teachers and the boys. His problem was that he had a German name, and indeed was obviously of German origin. At this time, relations between Germany and Britain were strained for German troops had entered Austria in March and the British Prime Minister had visited Hitler in Berchtesgarten in September. Many viewed the new master with the utmost suspicion believing that he had been placed at Aldenham by the German authorities in order to destroy the work and ideals of the School and to turn us all into Nazis. For this reason he was treated with silent but nevertheless obvious disdain. In short, we did not like him. It was preposterous.
As far as I can remember, no one took the trouble to explain to us this Master’s personal situation. Probably his parents had fled Germany in the early 1930’s and were now good law-abiding British citizens in a country supposedly renowned for its tolerance. We were not told that: we never asked. All that mattered to us was to make ‘Herr X’ as uncomfortable as possible in our presence and to teach him that he was an unwanted foreigner in an alien land. We probably succeeded, for ‘Herr X’ left the School soon after the start of World War 2.
In the mid 1930’s my brother took part in an exchange scheme, staying in Hamburg with a German family whose son, Bodo, was also about 19 years old. My brother returned home after three weeks appalled by the material conditions encountered during his stay but with a certain admiration for some
aspects of life in Germany, notably for the efforts being made by local authorities to reduce unemployment by initiating civic projects.
This episode was followed by Bodo’s return visit to our home, and to three very uncomfortable weeks for all members of my family. Our visitor had manifestly been indoctrinated by the Nazi’s and sent to proselytise an unwary British family. He pleaded the cause for National Socialism from morning till night and counter arguments put forward by my Father were of no avail. The household was empoisoned by Bodo’s rhetoric, from which we seemed unable to escape.
Bodo had done his best, but British reluctance to change got the better of him. He certainly realised that he had failed to convince any of us, so it was a very subdued young German who took leave of us at the station.