The Rohilla Tragedy
50 years on

It is 50 years on now from the tragedy that devastated the lives of those of us who lived and worked at school during that fateful time in September 1959 when we learned of the tragic loss of the Rohilla on a cross channel school journey. Crewed by Mr. Colin Noble, our teacher, his friend John Clewett and five boys from our school - the loss stunned us all.

This article presents some newspaper cuttings and other material dating from the time.

From the Daily Express Monday September 21, 1959:

The newspaper cutting above was provided by Neil Lakeman, Norwich House 1957 - 1962 .

Neil sailed on the Rohilla during the first week of the two week sailing expedition.

Neil recalls the first week's trip. His journey started from his home in "... Stowmarket (1) in Suffolk by train via London to Chichester (2) to the channel where I met up with the Rohilla. We then sailed across the channel to Cherbourg (3). Then we sailed on to St Peters Port (4) on Guernsey and then on to the Isle of Sark (5). Finally we sailed across the English Channel to Falmouth (6) in Cornwall then home by the train".

The Tragedy

The Rohilla is known to have been a converted 16 ton ex-R.N.L.I Gaff Ketch life-boat fitted with a Gardner Deisel marine engine, that gave a speed of 7 knots.

As modifications were made, and new safety features added, the earlier versions were sold off to the general public for leisure and recreation; the Rohilla was one of these.

It was on the boat's second expedition with the school, one week later than the one Neil sailed on, that the tragedy occurred on the return sailing from the Isle of Sark in the Channel Islands to Boscombe (7) in Dorset.

No one knows for certain what happened to cause the tragic loss. Over the years speculation has suggested that the Rohilla was run down by a much larger vessel. Perhaps the fact that both a life buoy and the dingy with the name of the Rohilla were found, but no other wreckage was ever washed up, lends credence to this theory.

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Some newspaper cuttings provided by Frank Foster, Bradford House 1958 - 1962.

Newspaper cuttings (below) from the Kentish Independent and Kentish Mail December 18, 1959.

Telegrams of the time from the school to the Rudman family.

Commemorations at the school:

Next time you're in Kingham Hill School chapel spare a moment to take a look at the memorial to those lost on the Rohilla. A loss that had a profound effect on a generation of school pupils and teaching staff of the time.

Article compiled By Andrew Langley from material provided by John Timmins and others.