Bury Grammar School Remembers
Bury Grammar School in World War I
During World War 1, Bury Grammar School's Old Boys and Old Girls played a significant role in the nation's war effort. Among them was Old Girl Nellie Wike (née Orrell), born in 1895, who served courageously as a nurse.
Over 600 Old Boys are also known to have joined the armed forces. This included all members of the renowned 1911/12 1st XI Football team, one of the School’s most successful squads. Tragically, three of these players did not return home.
In total, 98 Old Boys lost their lives in World War I, including two former School Captains. One of them, Joe Morris, was the last Old Boy to die in the conflict, on 4th November 1918, just days before the armistice. Joe, the brother of William Morris, who the Morris Shield is named after, was killed in the same battle as war poet Wilfred Owen. He rests at Pommereuil Military Cemetery, where his parents arranged for the School motto, Sanctas Clavis Fores Aperit ("The key opens holy doors"), to be inscribed on his headstone, making it unique worldwide.
The School honours those who gave their lives with a remembrance plaque in the Roger Kay Hall, a lasting tribute to the Old Boys whose sacrifices shaped history.
Bury Grammar School During World War II
During World War II, Bury Grammar School lost 47 former pupils who were killed in action, with 21 of them awarded military decorations for their courage and service.
One particularly inspiring Old Boy, Bert Minton, served in both World Wars. Seriously wounded in Belgium in 1914 and again in 1917, he nonetheless re-enlisted in the Merchant Navy in WWII, despite being in his mid-40s. Bert lost his life during the Battle of the Atlantic in 1941.
The Old Girls contributed significantly to the war effort under the leadership of Miss Perigo, Headmistress from 1940 to 1954. Old Girls knitted for troops and the Merchant Navy, crafted camouflage nets, and provided financial and material help to refugees and those in bombed areas, efforts that were generously supported by parents.
This spirit of resilience and dedication to both service and learning remains central to Bury Grammar School’s legacy.
Bury Grammar School in 2024
On Remembrance Sunday, members of the BGS Combined Cadet Force paraded through Bury town centre and participated in the Remembrance Day ceremony at Bury Parish Church. During the service, they laid a wreath of poppies with the inscription, “In remembrance of the former pupils of this school who fell in the two world wars and other conflicts, and to all those who have suffered and continue to suffer today under the scourge of war.”
On Monday, 11th November, Remembrance Assemblies were held across BGS, bringing pupils and staff together to pay their respects to all who have fallen in wars. Pupils learned about the D-Day landings and remembered Bury Grammar School Old Boy, Billy Atherton, of 32 Bury Old Road, Radcliffe, who died on 2nd July 1944 at just 19 years old. A minute’s silence was observed, providing a moment of reflection and respect for Peace and Remembrance Day.
