Highfield

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Highfield School (Infant Department)
The children were first evacuated from Southampton on Saturday 2nd September 1939, to the area around Andover. Over 100 pupils met at Highfield School, not later than 6am, and were told to bring their gas mask, a packed lunch and just one bag with a change of clothes. The children then left for the train station. Children were evacuated by school and some teachers went with them. Only mothers with children under 5 could accompany them.
Not all the children were evacuated – some parents chose to keep their children with them and school in Highfield continued. On November 29th it opened to provide a “part-time” education of an hour a day and give out homework. Teachers could also visit children at home.

By February 1940 the school had installed its own air raid shelters in the playground. These ran the length of the playground perpendicular to the road. They were large “Anderson shelter” style ones and meant that school could start to open on a more ‘normal’ basis. The School Log Books show that the estimated accommodation of the school shelters were; playground shelter 60 scholars and 4 adults, Institute shelter 75 scholars and 4 adults and 70 scholars and 2 adults in the Vestry. The school air raid shelters finally got their own electricity Mar 18 1941.
J.R. remembered that one day as the pupils came out from the air raid shelter after the all-clear, they could see the British planes still circling in the sky, causing great excitement amongst the boys.
By March many of the children who had been previously evacuated had returned as parents believed it was safe, as the expected attacks on Britain had not happened – yet. It had been nicknamed the “Phoney War”.
Following the bombing that damaged the Church, the children had to be given several days off school because the schools drains were also damaged and sewage was in the water running into the infants department. When they returned to school they were taught in groups for an hour at a time because until the toilets were mended children weren’t allowed to stay for more than an hour!

Because of the bombings, a second evacuation to villages around Blandford took place in June 1941 for 43 Highfield pupils and part-time teaching continued at the school for those that stayed behind.
In 1941 the headmaster, Mr Leggett received an MBE for his role as an A.R.P. warden. During an air raid High Explosive bombs wrecked some houses and a woman was trapped in one of them. Mr Leggett immediately led his wardens in rescue work. He directed the removal of the debris and then crawled into the demolished building, the walls of which were liable to collapse at any moment. After working for one and a half hours he succeeded in releasing the victim. His outstanding courage and coolness were an example and inspiration to the men under his control’
Source: London Gazette

In 1942 Mr Leggett’s only child, son Flying Officer Richard Leggett was killed.
M.D. remembered “Miss Bennett taking them all into the big room to let them know they must be sympathetic and nice to Mr Leggett as he had just learnt that his son was escaping from Stalag and was shot “
 
Walk back up Highfield Lane to return to school via ..

Highcrown Street

On Highcrown Street lived Mr William Fisher. He was the ARP who was awarded the first George Medal in Southampton for his bravery. On August 13th 1940 bombs were dropped in a Cold Store at the docks containing butter and meat. The fat burnt for weeks creating a strong smell across the city. During the fire, Mr Fisher hauled himself to the roof on crane in order to rescue an anti-aircraft gunner who was stuck there. He only managed to get down himself by hanging from the crane hook while shells were exploding around him.
Source: Parish Newsletters and Children of the Blitz

 Outside of the walk or extensions
Sherborne Road/Merton Road
On 15th May 1944 6 bombs were dropped in a raid on Portswood. Bombs hit Sherborne Road and 4 residents were killed. The curate who lived at number 9 lost all his belongings.

J.R. whose aunts lived in Merton Road told how they lost their home that night. They were in a shelter they shared with their neighbours in their garden but were still badly injured. They were in hospital in Southampton before being moved to Alton.

University Road
At the junction of University Road and Church Lane is Hilldown Road. Mr Robert Sedgeman, the ARP warden lived in Hilldown Road, who died in service at 5 University Road. The bungalow on the left replaces the house destroyed by the bomb that also killed Sedgeman.
 
Donnington Grove/Richmond Gardens
On 22nd June 1942, shortly after midnight, in just over an hour, 71 bombs were dropped over Bassett, Portswood and the area to the East of the Itchen.
9 residents, including a 2 year old child, were killed in bombings of Donnington Grove and Richmond Gardens. A letter from a survivor of that bombing can be found here.

Portswood Road
There were large communal air raid shelters for everyone to use under the buildings in Portswood Road.

Path running from Brookvale Road to Orchards Way
During the war an ARP station was located here (around the site of the current scout hut).

Oakmount Triangle
Due to city centre bombings during the war, some businesses relocated from Southampton into some of the houses in Highfield. Numbers 2, 4 and 6 Blenheim Avenue became a depot for a wholesaler. 9 Westbourne Crescent became a builders, whilst number 17 became a nurses home for the Royal South Hants Hospital. Number 19 became an office for the Ministry of Works. Rooms at 14 Oakmount Avenue became solicitors and number 12 became a training venue for the Home Guard after it was damaged by a bomb.
Several houses were damaged or completely destroyed by bombing. The effects of shrapnel could still be seen in the garden walls at 29 and 31 Blenheim Aveune (2004).
Source: OTRA Conservation Area – Toward an appraisal document