His story was told today by Principal Mr Oliver, who recounted the achievements of this Old Boy of Our Lady's Convent School. Born in 1893 and living to the ripe old age of 98, Captain Ratcliffe was known as a writer as well as for his military career. From Abingdon he went onto Harrow and Sandhurst, finishing his training just in time for the outbreak of World War One.
As a young second lieutenant, he took part in the Battle of the Aisne, being among the first British soldiers to be wounded when he was shot through the lung. Taken prisoner as an officer he was treated with old world courtesy and was operated upon by a German surgeon who restored the use of his right arm. He was imprisoned in Ingolstadt Castle, where he was able to exchange correspondence with his family and even receive parcels, such as racquets and balls.
A friend back home tried to send him a map of Bavaria welded inside a sardine tine, but it was never sent as it was reported to the police. However his mother did manage to smuggle a compass hidden in a tin of Harrogate toffees. These items are kept in the Special Collection of the Brotherton Library , Leeds University, named after Ratcliffe's uncle, who endowed that library.
In 1917 the opportunity to escape came when he was being transferred to another prison further north. He jumped from a moving train and using the compass kept walking for 36 hours, and eventually crawled under the frontier wire into Holland.
Making newspaper headlines Betram Ratcliffe was invited to tell his dramatic tale by King George V at Windsor castle, and he was later awarded the Military Cross.
Although he went on to do many other things Bertram Ratcliffe never forgot his happy time at the school and gave a large sum to equip a ‘Ratcliffe Library’ in 1948, set up school prizes and was generous in many ways.
With the anniversary of the Great War approaching this has been an opportunity to honour Bertram Radcliffe’s memory and exploits by naming the Library of the Senior School as the Ratcliffe Library. Guest of honour the Hon. Sir Thomas Boyd Carpenter, the County President of the Royal British Legion cut the ribbon following Mr Oliver's talk to older pupils in the school.
Read the report in the local press here.
Additional information from Children of Mercy: the story of the schools of Our Lady's Convent Abingdon by Penny Roker, 2000.
