World War II

The declaration of war in September 1939 did not result in the same wave of patriotic euphoria of 1914, but nor did it take anyone by surprise.

Emmanuel, along with other Cambridge colleges, had been preparing for hostilities for some time. As early as May 1938, the Bursar had been appointed Air Raid Warden, and fire fighting equipment had been purchased by September. A watchtower was set up on the roof of Front Court and from here the fire-watchers were on duty from the war's first day. All College members received instruction in fire fighting & the regular Air Raid Precaution drills. Happily, the only bomb damage the College suffered occurred on 16 January 1941, when a small device fell on the kitchen roof. It was extinguished ‘quite easily’, according to the official report made by one of the students on duty, Ronald Ruddle.

The College’s silverware, archives, ancient stained glass and a selection of pictures & rare books were evacuated shortly after the war began. They were entrusted to the care of Emmanuel-educated clergymen living in remote, rural parishes. The blackout was strictly enforced at Emmanuel, as elsewhere. One student later vividly recalled the hazards of crossing Parker’s Piece in the pitch dark!

As the war progressed, the parapets where the fire-watchers sat were reinforced, and sandbags & brick screens covered many of the College's windows. Basements were used as air-raid shelters, and a new refuge was built in the gardens of 55 St Andrew’s Street. The tunnel under Emmanuel Street was reinforced with strutting to provide another shelter.

Military recruitment processes were better-organised than they had been in the previous war, so the numbers of students, staff & Fellows were not reduced to anything like as in WWI. Although annual admissions were much higher for most of the war years than they had been in the 1920s, many students only resided for a short time, so the overall number of resident students fell. Arts students could study for a year before joining up, while scientists & engineers were awarded their degrees after only two years. The student intake included many RAF, Royal Navy & Army personnel following six-month courses in arts, science or engineering. These men were housed in North Court, which was again, as in WWI, given over to the army. The RAF also used parts of Emmanuel House & the Hostel as Sick Quarters.

From July 1942, the RAF were given permission to use the Eton and Rugby Fives courts for the disinfection of blankets. Because of the military's presence in the College, Fellows, students & staff had to be issued with civilian passes for access. The railings along St Andrew’s Street were sacrificed to the war effort in 1940. However, after a tussle with the Ministry of Works & Buildings, North Court's railings were restored, in the interests of security.

Due to the strict rationing of food & fuel, the domestic side of College life became very difficult to manage. An endless stream of Ministry of Food directives were issued to Cambridge colleges, minutely controlling quantities and ingredients, as well as allocating specific suppliers. The quality of food served at Emmanuel suffered significantly, due to both rationing and the departure of skilled cooks. There were consequently many complaints about the food! One student described an especially awful dinner as ‘one of the foulest meals within human history’. The wartime menus are indeed filled with off–putting items such as kidney omelette, calf’s head vinaigrette, egg cutlets and marrow jam tart. In an attempt to improve the quality of meals, the College cultivated its own vegetables, initially in existing flower beds. In October 1940, however, the entire Paddock was ploughed up and divided into neat vegetable plots. These were maintained until 1949, as rationing continued after the war. Students were employed, on a voluntary basis, in both the kitchens and the gardens.

The social life of the College's undergraduates & 'short course' military personnel was less seriously affected than in WWI. This was due to student numbers remaining fairly high throughout the war. Needless to say, things like tea & sherry parties — staples of student hospitality — were much less lavish affairs than before the war. Students were still able to enjoy some sporting activities. There was rowing three days a week, and the Squash Court was in regular use. The Wilberforce Road sportsground was shared with local Cambridge schools from 1941, and grazed by sheep during the summer vacation. The Debating Society held meetings throughout the war, often discussing aspects of the military conflict, and the Musical Society continued to give concerts. Sadly, the Dramatic Society had to sacrifice the timbers of the Old Library stage for 'Civil Defence Purposes'.

Emmanuel’s Fellowship was, of course, affected by the war. A large proportion of younger Fellows left to take up war work. Those who remained took on war-related duties in addition to their normal teaching responsibilities. Retired Emmanuel Fellows living in Cambridge were asked to take over some of the teaching, as were the visiting lecturers. The college was enlivened by visiting academics. One such was Luis Cernuda, who would become one of Spain’s most acclaimed 20th-cenury poets. His poem El Arbol was inspired by our celebrated Oriental Plane tree. Another visitor was Professor Frank Dobie of the University of Texas. He greatly enjoyed his time at Emmanuel, despite the wartime deprivations, and later published an entertaining, but thoughtful and informative, account of his life in Cambridge. Rarely seen without his beloved Stetson, he was a notable raconteur, and a popular addition to the College community.

The end of the War in Europe was marked at Emmanuel by modest festivities on 'V.E. Day', 8 May 1945, as rationing prevented anything more lavish. A motion for free drinks and a Victory Ball Dinner had been proposed by the Debating Society. This was passed with a unanimous vote! Neither of these proposed options were possible. However, port from the cellars was provided for all resident members, who toasted the King's health. The first course served at dinner on V.E. Day was the patriotic 'Consommé Rex'. V.J. Day, of course, was in August, when very few students were in college.

The number of graduates killed in WWII was slightly higher than the death toll of WWI, as there were civilian casualties as well as military ones. Around 140 Emmanuel men were killed on active service, or as a result of enemy action. Most who died were soldiers and airmen, although there were also more than a dozen naval fatalities. Eight Medical Officers & two Chaplains to the Forces also lost their lives. A few men appear to have been killed while carrying out Intelligence work. The civilian casualties included those who died in air raids, or during attacks on passenger ships.

The memorials to our 1939–46 Fallen consist of an illuminated parchment Book of Remembrance (which also includes the names of the WWI casualties) and a cross commisioned for the Chapel altar. This was made by Howard Brown of Norwich, to match the style of the existing altar candlesticks.