Eighty years ago today, on 8 May 1945, the nation erupted in celebration as Victory in Europe (VE) Day marked the end of hostilities in Europe. Church bells rang out across towns and villages, and crowds famously gathered outside Buckingham Palace to witness a moment of history.
Today, we pause to reflect on that momentous day and its impact on what was then Worcester College for the Blind and Chorleywood College. Both institutions, now part of the history of New College Worcester, played their part during the Second World War in ways that reveal courage, adaptability and community spirit.
Wartime Life at Worcester College for the Blind
During the war, boys from the Birmingham Royal Institute for the Blind (BRIB) were evacuated to Worcester College for the Blind for a year. As well as swimming matches, handball matches were played, proving to be the first evidence of sports modified for the blind being used for competition between the Worcester College boys and outsiders.
However, overcrowding and rivalries led to tensions, and the BRIB students were eventually relocated to Kinlet Hall.
Worcester College itself was never requisitioned by the government, but it was visited by representatives from the Royal Air Force, likely due to its proximity to Spetchley Court—designated as a potential site for Winston Churchill’s relocation in the event of a German invasion. Nearby Air Ministry offices were intended to serve as part of the city’s outer defensive line, with roadblocks planned and the Home Guard, led by Mr Bradnack, coordinating exercises from the College’s Baldwin wing.
The war deeply affected daily life. Food shortages and reduced staffing meant the boys had to take on extra responsibilities. The “Useful Services Association” was formed to organise practical tasks, from coal shovelling to vegetable gardening. Making their own beds and digging up lawns for produce became part of everyday life.
Chorleywood College During the War
Chorleywood College, though close enough to London to remain cautious, was spared the devastation of direct bombing—only one bomb landed in nearby fields. Its extensive cellars were converted into makeshift dormitories for air-raid protection, allowing the school to avoid evacuation.
Adult evacuees joined the campus as staff from the National Institute for the Blind were relocated to Chorleywood. Meanwhile, the girls at the school contributed meaningfully to the war effort. They knitted for the armed forces and collected rosehips—a valuable source of Vitamin C during rationing—to be used in syrups, soups, and jams.
Many staff members were trained as Air Raid Wardens. One notable moment came on 9 December, when Chorleywood staged a large-scale air raid exercise involving simulated high explosives, incendiary bombs, and mustard gas. Emergency services responded to nine mock casualties, giving students a powerful and educational experience of wartime readiness.
Contributions Beyond the School Gates
Former students from both schools also played vital roles in the national war effort.
John Jarvis, a language graduate, worked with the BBC Monitoring Service.
R.O. Brown served as a censor for Braille materials leaving Britain.
John Dawlings enlisted in the Pioneer Corps.
Leslie Forster became an Air Raid Warden.
Betty Chapple joined the Nursing Reserve.
Barbara Fletcher helped manage milk production as a Registration Officer.
Many more students took on factory work—opportunities that, although born of hardship, allowed them to showcase their capabilities in new and meaningful ways.
As we mark 80 years since VE Day, we honour the resilience and spirit of those connected to Worcester College for the Blind and Chorleywood. Their experiences remind us of the strength found in community, even in the darkest times.
