I Am Here Today Representing the Family of George Nicholas, Many of Whom Travelled With

<centerSpeech given by Christine Nicholas at the rededication at St. Cuthbert’s on 24th July 2010. 

I am honoured today to represent my father, George Nicholasatthe dedication of this memorial in the grounds ofSt. Cuthbert’s.He passed away in July 2004 but I know he would be proud that my mother, sister and her family were here today to remember with you the Wellesley boys who losttheir lives for their country.

George Nicholas was a Wellesley boy from 1938 – 1940.He came, like many of his contemporaries, from a broken home but Wellesley became his home, his strength and his direction.He would never forget his time at Wellesley.Many years laterwhen he visited his old school he noticed a plaque on the wall of the Chapel honouring some of the old Wellesley lads, some only 16 or 17 years old, who had sacrificed their lives whilst serving their country at sea during the war and this moved him tooffer to Wellesley a more permanent memorial.He commissioned this stone, carved from Lakeland sea green slate which was officially dedicated at the WellesleyNauticalSchool on 15th June, 1988.The face of the stone is smooth but the rest of it is as it came from the quarry, with undulations, both gentle and rough,to represent the different moods of the sea.

Although the slate was estimated to last for 2000 years it was almost demolished in2007, only 19 years after being commissioned, along with the Wellesley School itself.Had it not been for the Trustees of Wellesley, it would have been lost forever along with other memorabilia from the school.They had the foresight to put it in storage pending an appropriate new home.

Thanks to their generosity and the determination and dare I say, stubbornness, of the ex Wellesley Lads, it has now found the best home possible in the grounds of St. Cuthberts’s where we hope it will remain as a registered war memorial for many years to come.

At the dedication in June 1988, George Nicholas spoke with great affection and admiration about Commander Frank Stone who was the Commanding Officer of the school when my father was there. He said he was a great disciplinarian but that he was also very kind and just. He quoted from his words which were recorded in the “Wellesley Tatler” just before the outbreak of hostilities in 1939.I will also quote from that now:

‘If war should come, and we cannot ignore the possibilities of such a tragedy, then you lads at sea will be playing a very important role in bringing us the food and the things we shall need from across the seas.It will be a man’s job and I sincerely trust that every old Wellesley boy at sea will do it nobly and prove worthy of the task’

Two months later war was declared and very soon afterwards Commander came to one of the assemblies at the school to announce that his own son, Albert John Stone had been killed in action.It was a sad day.Many Wellesley boys were to follow him during those first hectic years at sea.

The Wellesley School did much to prepare young boys for the rigours of life which many of you here will understand.It was from this training that my father recognized that a person only gets out of life what he puts into it.He lived his life by this standard.George Nicholas would have been 86 years old today, 24th July, and had he still been alive, he would have been honoured to take part in this dedication and see you all here today.

My family and I, on his behalf, give thanks to St. Cuthbert’s andto all of you have made this day possible,and we honour all those who have family or friends named on this stone or who died serving their country during World War Two.

Thank you.