At a special Remembrance Requiem Mass held at St Augustine’s Church and organised by the Old Augustinians (The Alumni of St Augustine’s College), Ursuline College students gave up their time to remember those pupils of the former Ramsgate school who gave their lives in the two World Wars.
The Mass was attended by Cllr Debra Owen-Hughes, Chair of Thanet District Council, and Cllr Pat Moore, Mayor of Ramsgate (both pictured below), along with other guests.
Special recognition was given to three brothers and former schoolboys who were killed in separate battles – Patrick Milne Carroll, Michael John Carroll, and Gerald Dennis Carroll—who each made the ultimate sacrifice during the Second World War.
The students read the Roll of Honour and gave a tribute to the three Carroll Brothers before going on to lay a wreath at the Old Augustinians War Memorial where they are all listed.
Also remembered were former Ramsgate schoolboys Ian Cameron, the former chief designer for Roll Royce Cars; actor Clive Arrindell; Grenfell Tower victim Vincent Chiejina; and former long-standing teacher and former Assistant Headmaster, Robin Edwards.
Keryn Poulter, Chair of the Westgate Ursuline Alumni, read the “Prayer of Peace” for the peoples of the Middle East.
At a reception held in the Cartoon room at The Grange, the Old Augustinians presented a donation to Fr Jonathan Routh, the new Parish Priest for Ramsgate and Minster, for the upkeep of St Augustine’s Church.
A prize fund in memory of deceased Old Augustinians Vincent Chiejina, Stephen Owusu-Ansah and Simone Marella was presented by Ade Owusu-Ansah to Christopher Gregory (Assistant Headteacher of the Ursuline College) towards the cost of a planned visit for students to Ypres and the War Graves.
Patrick Carroll, Michael Carroll, and Gerald Carroll
Second Lieutenant Patrick Milne Carroll was the first of the brothers to lay down his life. He attended St. Augustine’s from 1927 to 1933, where he was known for his solid character and his talent on the cricket field, praised in The Times for his skill as a bowler. After completing his degree in Law at Cambridge, Patrick joined the Royal Armoured Corps and was sent to North Africa in early 1942. He was killed in action in Libya that July, at just 22 years of age. Patrick is remembered at the El Alamein War Cemetery, a poignant reminder of the far-reaching scope of the brothers’ sacrifices, as they served in theatres of war across Europe and North Africa.
Captain Michael John Carroll, Patrick’s elder brother, attended St. Augustine’s from 1927 to 1931 and shared his brother’s love of cricket. He carried this passion to Downside and into the Old Augustinian Cricket Club, where he later became captain. When war broke out, Michael immediately enlisted in the Royal Artillery, following in his father’s footsteps. On the night of 10th September 1943, during the Salerno landings in Italy, Michael was killed while providing critical artillery support to an infantry attack. His commanding officer described him as a brave leader who put his duty and his men above his own safety, exemplifying the Catholic virtues of courage and service to others.
Flying Officer Gerald Dennis Carroll, the youngest of the Carroll brothers, was born in Santiago, Chile, in 1923. Although he officially became a British subject only a few months before his death, with the help of Winston Churchill, Gerald’s loyalty and commitment were unwavering. Known at St. Augustine’s for his quiet determination, Gerald carried this loyalty to Ampleforth, Cambridge, and his training as a pilot. Posted to a Heavy Bomber Squadron, he undertook several flights over Berlin and other dangerous targets, displaying courage and faith. On the night of 8th February 1944, Gerald embarked on a secret mission, code-named “John 35” where he lost his life.
St Augustine’s College
St Augustine’s College, a Catholic School, was set up in Ramsgate by the Benedictine Monks from Subiaco in 1865.
Up to near the end of World War One St Augustine’s was a boys’ school from ages 11 to 18 with a mix of boarders and dayboys. The school temporarily closed in 1917 due to the fear of coastal bombardment and air raids on Ramsgate and reopened after the War. It moved away to Huntingdonshire during the Second World War and returned to Ramsgate in the 1950s
The school moved from Ramsgate in 1971 to the former Les Oiseaux Convent School site in Canterbury Road, Westgate on Sea. St Augustine’s closed in 1995. Following a reorganisation of Catholic Secondary Education in Thanet, many students from St Augustine’s joined the new Ursuline College, also in Canterbury Road, Westgate on Sea.
The Old Augustinians was set up shortly after the school was inaugurated in 1865 and has continued to this day for all those who had attended St Augustine’s College and Abbey School.
Ursuline College adopted the Old Augustinians tie as part of its uniform for its 6th form and the tie is still worn today.
