Henry Fleet: –? [Heath 1941–1960]

Henry Fleet was born on in Arnold, Nottingham to James Fleet. By the time Henry entered St Catherine’s College, Cambridge the family had moved to ‘Glenthorne’, Woodthorpe Avenue — described today as a ‘four to five bedroom family house’ — in the suburb of Sherwood. He went to Nottingham High School and University College, Nottingham — which was then a senior school, not a degree awarding institution.

He was 18 when World War I broke out but, according to the Imperial War Museum, he did not enlist until 1918 when, from –, he is listed as serving as a general administrator in the Air Ministry: Department of the Master-General of Personnel: Officers’ Service Records. It seems that the Heath Grammar School story that he had served in the Royal Flying Corps, which became part of the Royal Air Force on , relates to his appointment as a general administrator in January 1918.

Whatever the case, he was released from these duties to attend St Catherine’s College, Cambridge, matriculating on . Initially he studied Chemistry but switched to Geography receiving his BA in 1922 and claiming his MA in 1927.

Formal photograph showing three rows of freshers standing behind one seated row
St Catherine’s College, Cambridge, 1919 Freshers: Henry Fleet is third from the left in the back row

By his third year he was representing the college in association football, perhaps giving some credence to the story that he had played on the wing as an amateur for Notts County.

Formal photograph showing five players standing behind five seated players with two players sat crosslegged in the front
St Catherine’s College, Cambridge, 1921–22 Football team: Henry Fleet is sitting crosslegged on the left

At some point he did a doctorate but we have no information on when or where. However, the Editor recalls being told that he was associated with the discovery of a particular geological formation in Wales. So perhaps that was the subject of his doctoral thesis.

We have no further information until he joins Heath Grammar School in 1941 but he may have become a preparatory school teacher and this may have led him to apply for the temporary appointment to the Junior School in September 1941 to replace James Chisholm who had been given leave of absence for the duration of the war. When James Chisholm did not return, he was given a permanent post in 1947.

Andy Connell [Heath 1958–1965] writes:

I remember him as kindly and diminutive; he was unmarried and a heavy smoker, living in lodgings. At Heath he taught only first, second and third forms — Geography, Maths and Science. He retired in 1960 and we have no further information about him. Whether he remained in Halifax after retirement is unknown.

Thank you to Andy Connell for doing the spadework and to the Archivist at St Catherine’s College, Cambridge, who provided the details of his time at St Catherine’s and the illustrations.