Figure 1.-- When I was 11 years old, we moved to West Germany. I began my first secondary school. Here I am with my school friends. We were all 11 or 12 years old. I remember thinking at the time that the uniform was very smart.

When I was 11 years old, we moved to West Germany. [Note: English children at age 10 took a test to determine what type of secondary school they will attend. The children at a military base, however, would all go to the same school, rehardless of their academic capabilities.] We were stationed at a huge North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) base not far from Düsseldorf. I entered my first secondary school. It was all British and there were several hundred kids there. I wore the school uniform: long grey trousers, white shirt, school tie, school blazer and school cap. I remember thinking at the time that the uniform was very smart. It just wasn't an issue that I wore school uniform continuously for months on end, any more than it was for German boys to spend the winters half naked - at least by our terms. I suppose that when one group sees another group behaving or clad differently, questions are raised. In the case of young teenagers, these seem not to be the sort of questions to be shared with parents. Must be some kind of innate conservatism, or modesty.

Move to Germany

When I was 11 years old, we moved to West Germany. It was during the Cold War and there was a large British and American presence in Germany which at the time was still an occupied country followng Wotrld War II. We were stationed at a huge North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) base not far from Düsseldorf.

Secondary School

Age 11 in England is when children began secondary school. [Note: English children at age 10 took a test to determine what type of secondary school they will attend. There were academic secondary schools like grammar schools and less academic Secondary Moderns. Educational reforms had begun to create Comprehensives.] The children at a military base, however, would all go to the same school, rehardless of their academic capabilities. Kind of an early Comprehensive. I entered my first secondary school. It was all British and there were several hundred kids there.

School Uniform

Our school uniform was much more elaborate than anything I wore at my primary schools. I wore the school uniform: long grey trousers, white shirt, school tie, school blazer and school cap. I remember thinking at the time that the uniform was very smart. And I felt very grown up at the time.

British-German Difference

It just wasn't an issue that I wore school uniform continuously for months on end, any more than it was for German boys to spend the winters half naked - at least by our terms. I suppose that when one group sees another group behaving or clad differently, questions are raised. In the case of young teenagers, these seem not to be the sort of questions to be shared with parents. Must be some kind of innate conservatism, or modesty. I saw my younger brother this weekend and asked him what he remembered of boys' clothes when we were ourselves boys. Without any prompting, he said he has always remembered the German boys wearing those short shorts.

Graham

One of my friends at school was Graham. When speaking with my brother, I asked him if he could recall any specific instances and, among others, he talked about one of my English schoolfriends whose German shorts became a topic of conversation among him and some of his chums, 4 or 5 years younger than me. Of course, I quickly remembered Graham and, although I have hardly thought about him for nearly 50 years, details soon came to mind and I have written an account, attached. We thought his father was wickedly cruel and the account, in a way, is as much about parental control as boys' clothing. It was rather poignant yesterday, talking to my brother about times past, as his 11 year old son hurtled around my house and garden, dressed for comfort and looking as happy as can be. What a contrast with Graham's life.