Unfortunately my father died in October 1997 but I will try to tell you what he did after leaving Aldenham.
In September 1932 he went out to Canada for a year to live with relatives in the back of beyond in British Colombia. When he came back he joined the Metropolitan Police and pounded the beat around Bow before being fastracked for promotion in the newly created Police College in Hendon. While in the Force he represented them in tennis, squash and athletics teams.
In 1936 he spent a week in Germany watching the Olympic Games and also representing the Met in a Competition against the German Police Force. While there they layed a wreath at the war memorial at Unter-den-Linden with the co-operation and assistance of the local force and an address by the overall German Chief of Police. ( I have a 6 page letter from Dad to his Canadian relative covering the whole episode in detail – night clubbing in Munich in 1936!) He got to the rank of Inspector before joining the RAF and flying Whitley Bombers. Unfortunately he was shot down on his first op and spent four years in one of Hitler’s best Hotels! (Stalag Luft 3 – The Wooden Horse Escape Camp). While they were tunnelling they only had 3 planks on each bunk – head, bum and feet!
Going back to his time at Aldenham :-
Some 45 years later I followed in his footsteps 1970 – 1975. He used to refer to Beevor’s and McGill’s as Loppers and Berties – presumably to do with the Housemasters of the time. The Chapel alongside the road which is now the Music area was the Chapel in his day. Unfortunately, like me he had little or no contact that I know of with fellows from Aldenham. He was born in 1911 so would have been 90 this year.
After the war he was disillusioned with the Police and became a herdsman milking cows etc. Later he married the bosses daughter (always a good tactic) became a partner in the business and did alright for us. We sold up in the Surrey area because the M25 was going through our farm, and moved back to his home county of Devon – he was born in Ottery St Mary.