AS the nation remembered and honoured those who sacrificed themselves on Remembrance Sunday, pupils and staff at King Edward’s, Witley, hosted their own traditional Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial at the front of the school on Armistice Day.

The names of the 92 pupils and two ex-staff who died during, or as a result of, World War I were read out at 11am, on Wednesday morning, followed by the 48 who died on active service in World War II.

As the roll was read pupils planted crosses with the names of each of the fallen around the memorial. It was followed by the laying of the wreaths, the school choir singing the anthem ‘For the Fallen,’ the playing of the Last Post and a two-minute silence before a chapel service.

Following the memorial’s recent restoration Remembrance Sunday was particularly poignant.

Originally commissioned by the school’s alumni, now known as the Old Witleians or “Old Wits”, it is inscribed, “Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends”.

Wreaths were laid by representatives of the Old Witleians and Bridewell Royal Hospital foundation and, in a special commemoration this year, by former Navy Lieutenant Commander Bernard Corrie and David Parker, who were pupils at King Edward’s in the late 1940s.

The names of those lost in both wars are listed in the chapel’s Book of Remembrance, and this year the school archivist undertook to find out more about the former pupils’ lives.

Marilyn Wilkes, a former history teacher and housemistress, said: “Some of the remarkable accounts serve as clear reminders of the origins of King Edward’s Witley, as a school which retained close links with the City, providing a place for less privileged children to enable them to gain a good education and become useful citizens.”

Edmund Henry Quarterman, a lance corporal in the Rifle Brigade, was an orphan in the care of his aunt when he joined the school in 1883.

After leaving in 1884 he worked for the GPO – the Post Office – before joining the Army, which he left before 1901. When war broke out 13 years later, Edmund volunteered and was posted to India where he served for two years. He died in January 1918, and was buried in Wimbledon Cemetery having contracted consumption.

The bronze memorial plaque issued to next of kin of all British and Empire service personnel who were killed, commonly known as the Dead Man’s Penny, was issued to Edmund’s family.

William Bowman Stanfield, a lieutenant in the Northampton Regiment, had no father and came from Rotherhithe to join the school in 1899, staying for nearly nine years – first as a scholar and then progressing to become a student teacher.

“Doggie” as he was nicknamed was an all-round sportsman, representing the school in cricket and football, as well as being “special class” in the gymnasium and proving himself an excellent cross country runner.

As a student teacher he was popular among the boys and his colleagues.

Initially commissioned to the 3rd Northants Regiment, he went to France taking part in the last great advance.

Fearless throughout, Williams died as a result of wounds received on the battlefield.

Alan Baird Handyside was a second lieutenant in the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment. He was orphaned when he joined the school in 1903 although he was later adopted by Mr and Mrs Cullerne of Guildford.

He was known as Handyside and his obituary read: “No boy ever left KES who had more affection for school than Alan.”

At the outbreak of war, he was stationed in Buenos Aires but came home and offered his services. Killed in action in Northern France during the final stages of the war, he was awarded the Military Cross just before his death “for conspicuous gallantry and enterprise”.

• A full list of the Old Wits who died in the wars and their biographies can be found at www.kesw.org