school's World War II-era students and veterans.

Following on the discovery in the school hall attic, of the school records and photographs of some 70 of the `evacuees' who were sent from war-ravaged Britain to the safety of Bermuda, it was decided to contact as many of the listed boys as possible.

"We were astonished by the response,'' says Saltus spokesman Daniel Blagg.

"Even those who are unable to join us at this week's reunion have written to us in some detail, telling us about their time in Bermuda -- and, in some cases, the dangers they endured, dodging German U-boats on the long sea voyage to get here.'' Not all of these journeys were in the same direction: some Saltus boys were put on ships in Bermuda and sent off to attend boarding schools in the UK.

Realisation that all of these `old boys' possess unique information that casts light on a less well known aspect of Bermuda's history, has also inspired a special `Oral History' project. Headed by senior history department head Derek Janes, teams of students have been interviewing `old boys' from the era of 1939-45 for an archival booklet of reminiscences. Some were tracked down on the Internet, and the students conducted personal or e-mail interviews.

Noting that the records of the war-time visitors had never been entered in the regular alumni files, Mr. Blagg was fascinated to discover that Saltus had played host to the sons of some of Bermuda's leading families. The present Lord Lever, for instance, has written extensively to Mr. Blagg about his Bermuda recollections. With his mother, he arrived in Bermuda in 1941 where they rented a cottage at Salt Kettle. "I greatly enjoyed my time in Bermuda, swimming, sailing and bicycling around the Island. I believe I am right in saying that at that time there were only four motor vehicles -- those of the Governor, the Chief of Police, the Fire Brigade and the Ambulance Service.'' Colin Goldsmith, of the famous banking family, also wrote at length, recalling long and happy days in Paget, "the many Bermuda cherries, a magnificent lime tree and a night-blooming cereus.'' Returning some 50 years later, he was thrilled to find the very rocks from which he used to dive at Coral Beach. His journey back to Britain he describes as "a major adventure worth a reminiscence by itself. Brian Burland has a character in one of his novels describing such an experience.'' Peter Darling was one of those Bermudians sent off to prep school in England.

On one of his perilous journeys back home, he recalls joining a convoy.

"Somewhere near Iceland one sunny afternoon I heard a dull explosion and looked up and saw a small merchantman on fire and sinking. Within minutes two more merchantmen met a similar fate -- in about eight to ten minutes, three had been torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat....we (then) zigzagged as fast as we could go all the way to Bermuda.'' As Englishman, John Richard, has written in his recollections, "little did my patents realise that we faced far greater perils crossing the Atlantic in September 1940, because the U-boat threat was only just beginning to cause alarm.'' On his journey, the very first vessel in the convoy was struck by a torpedo and blown up before his very eyes, with five more to follow. Having eventually arrived safely in Bermuda, Mr. Richard recalls the "infamous'' day when girls at the High School were "caught red-handed training a telescope on the boys' changing rooms at Saltus, across the playing fields.'' John Gilbert, Bermuda's former Clerk to the Legislature, remembers that the war evacuees "made a considerable impact on the school as most of them came from very well known public schools in England such as Eton, Harrow and Charterhouse. They were very well grounded in English and Latin...They got on very well with the Bermudian boys and numerous friendships lasted for many years after the end of World War II.'' Saltus's War-Era Reunion commences on Thursday, June 11, with Founder's Day ceremonies following on Friday, with the Stephenson Golf Tournament teeing off at the Belmont on Saturday, June 13.

BERMUDA'S FIGHTERS -- The `Bermuda IV', one of the RAF spitfire fighter planes paid for by the Bermuda War Fund. During the 1940's, Saltus students arranged a raffle to help purchase one of the planes for the RAF. Pictured on the wing of `Bermuda IV' is James McClay.

Photo courtesy of Lord Lever LORDLY LINE-UP -- War-time students at Saltus are pictured in the 1941 sports day race. Pictured (left to right) are: David Knollys (future Lord), Brian Burland (future internationally known writer), Christopher Lever (future `Lord') and Anthony Montagu (future Lord Montagu of Beaulieu).