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Bournemouth, Dorset: War Diary of a 12-year-old

Rollo Hayman was on the eve of his teenage years as the First World War began – and unlike many of his modern counterparts, he was already engaged in politics and had a clear party allegiance. This was probably a reflection of what would be regarded by today’s standards as his privileged background.

But like everyone else in Britain, Rollo endured the shortage of food , the fear of zeppelin air raids, and the suspicion that someone close by in your street was in fact a German spy.

Rollo was to end the war at Sherborne School , where the Officer Training Corps became a major part of the curriculum after 1914. Over a thousand of Rollo’s fellow pupils were called to serve β€œKing and Country” after leaving Sherborne – more than two hundred were not to return.

Location: Bournemouth, Dorset BH89BJ
Image: Courtesy of Sherborne School Archives

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Duration:

8 minutes

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