“With best wishes from The Walthamstow Technical Senior Scholars Society” – July 15, 1916

Back in 1911 I had family living on Waverley Road in Walthamstow and nearly a century later I remember riding the Victoria line to its northernmost stop to visit the area on a blustery day in March 2010. Just a few days ago I found this 4.25″x6.5″ sepia-tone image in a box of old photographs and was intrigued by the inscription on back:

W.F. Tranton

With best wishes from The Walthamstow Technical Senior Scholars Society

July 15/16

While it wasn’t unusual for an educational institution to become a temporary home to convalescing soldier it is less common to see them posing with a group of young people who I presume are students. According to an article on British History Online the technical schools in the area underwent a lot of changes in 1915/16 and so its possible their closure made the buildings available to the dozen British and Commonwealth soldiers pictured here.

This photo asks more questions than it answers but perhaps someone with local knowledge will be able to fill in the blanks. If so please leave a comment below or contact me. Thanks in advance.

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