Quarry Bank School Liverpool

[Peter Brydon]

Quarry Bank School in Liverpool will probably be remembered best for John Lennon and the Quarrymen but this afternoon I discovered an interesting bit of military history connected with the school that I did not know about.

I met a gentleman who was at the school in the 1940`s. The school did not have a cadet unit but due a family connection between one the teachers and an officer of the Liverpool University STC ( as it was then ) 6th Formers who wished to, could join the University STC.

Apparently this priviledge only applied to Quarry Bank and no other Liverpool Schools, although most of them had their own cadet units at this time.

Unfortunatly whilst he said he could remember that he wore the cloth title on battledress with just S.T.C. on it ( no university name ) , he could not remember the colours.

There is an article on cloth titles of the university OTC`s etc in the Formation Sign of July-September 2008.The University OTC`s became STC`s in September 1940 and the article mentions Waring listing just one slip on title STC in yellow on blue for Aberdeen University but he ( Waring ) also mentions that some STC`s wore coloured "regimental designation" style titles.

In 1948 the university contingents adopted the titles of University Training Corps ( UTC ) and in 1949 a standard cloth title UTC was introduced.In 1955 the title of OTC was restored.

There was a cloth title" Liverpool University STC", a battledress blouse with these titles was offered for sale some time ago but I could not afford it at the time.

I wonder if after 60 odd years the gentlemans memory was incorrect or were there two differnet designs of cloth titles worn -"Liverpool University STC" and another just "STC "

Any information much appreciated.

P.B.

[badjez]

I cannot comment upon the school itself but generically the following would have applied to the university. It may help to date the BD & titles. Incidentally, the BD appeared to have a maroon Arm-of-Service strip attached. This would indicate a RAMC affiliation and would also date it to the late 1940's.

30.04.48. AO 30/1948: Re-designation of Senior Division, Officer Training Corps as University Training Corps (TA). Royal Warrant signed 27.04.48.

02.11.49. ACI 874:
A standard arm title for wear by all University Training Corps cadets approved to the following design:-
Titles, arm, embroidered, UTC (Cat No CB 2411)- The letters ‘U.T.C.’ embroidered in black on a red background.

Regards, Stephen.

[Peter Brydon]

Thanks Stephen.

Peter