Jack was a day pupil at Oakham during the Second World War. Now 98 years old, he is happy to share some of his memories of Oakham and the preparations he witnessed for D-Day at RAF Cottesmore.

‘I was born on 26th May 1927. When I passed the 11+, I went to Oakham School—one of the small group of local day pupils amongst the boarders. My parents had to pay for meals (I think lunch cost 1 shilling—5p nowadays), uniforms, and books. The alternative was the Central School down Cold Overton Rd, which later became Vale of Catmose College.

The day boys' house was a building off Market Street . (You can still see the entrance with an old Oakham School Badge over a doorway next to Alicia Kearns’ office. In 1972, it became Talbots, the girl's house.) In my day, there were no girls. Our House Master was Robert Dewsbury, and the Headmaster was Talbot Griffiths.  I was known as Pearce 3, as there were two other boys with the same surname.

School days began with a 30-minute cycle ride from Market Overton, where we lived.  I remember we had Chapel every day at 9am (but as day boys we were excused from attending on Sunday) . In the summer term, we had compulsory daily swimming in the outdoor pool on Kilburn Rd.  I remember that there was an air-raid siren on top of what is now the Banking Hub on the corner of Church Street, but I can’t remember what we did if it went off!.

I left school at 16 in 1943 and went to work with Wimpey’s at RAF Cottesmore, on the surveying team preparing to build the runway.  Then I worked for the Air Ministry, learning about ‘all things electrical’.

While I was there, the American troops arrived, and I watched them practice for D-Day. They used large transport planes to transport troops and equipment and tow gliders full of troops—a large British glider, the ‘Horsa’, and a smaller US’ Waco’. Landing looked very precarious; when cast off, it looked as though the gliders were dropping impossibly steeply towards the ground—but they always managed to pull the nose up just before landing.

At 18, in 1945 I joined the Army. Although the war in Europe was over (VE Day was 8th May 1945), there was still fighting in the East.  I was sent for training at Bovington Camp in Dorset, and then in Farnborough. I was on the parade ground one morning (VJ Day 15th August) when the officer in charge announced that the war was over.  I remember a celebratory street party, and the relief that I wouldn’t have to fight.

I did three years National Service  - firstly in N Italy and then in Egypt, guarding the Suez Canal . Although I am very proud of my service medals, I was very pleased to be demobbed in 1948 and return to the UK’.