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Holmston Pages

October 2002 Update

Mr Garven, Headmaster 1961-73

Text and photo from "The Herald", Glasgow, April 4, 2001 -

"Robert Garven

Decorated bomber pilot, teacher, and church elder

"Robert Garven was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross after the seige of Malta during the Second World War, when he flew continuous torpedo bombing missions from the island against enemy shipping in the Mediterranean.

After the war he trained as a science teacher and spent the rest of his working life in Ayrshire, where he became a headmaster at several schools and a popular elder of the Church of Scotland.

The son of a mining engineer, he was born in Irvine and educated at Irvine Royal Academy before taking a BSc in physics and chemistry at Glasgow University.

Graduating in 1939, his first job was in the laboratories of the ICI plant at Ardeer. He was already serving as a militiaman when he enlisted in the RAF and joined the initial training wing at Torquay, before starting pilot training.

He joined 221 Squadron at Bircham Newton but was posted almost immediately to North Africa, where he flew in operations over Tobruk and Sidi Barani. He was later based in Haifa, Palestine, and took part in the battle of El Alamein before returning to Tobruk and Benghazi.

Following a torpedo course at Suez, he went to the besieged island of Malta as a sergeant pilot, where he flew Wellington bombers on missions to attack German and Italian shipping in the Mediterranean, from Naples to Cape Bon.

The island was under almost constant attack and the pressure on young pilots was intense. Many of his friends were killed, and he was commissioned and awarded the DFC after surviving 30 operations.

By this time a hardened 23-year-old veteran, he returned to the UK to become a flying instructor in Limavady, Northern Ireland. He later took part in operations over the North Sea until the end of the war, and returned to civilian life after his final trip in February 1946.

He took his diploma in education at Jordanhill and joined the staff at Kilmarnock Academy in January 1947, teaching physics and chemistry. He married his wife, Katharine, the following year and in 1949 left Kilmarnock Academy to teach in the primary department of Galston School.

In 1952 he became head of the two-teacher school of Crossroads, Hurlford, which he left nine years later on his appointment as head of Holmston School in Ayr (photo, right, shows Mr Garven with Mr Burnett and Mrs Howie at Holmston's FP Reunion). He was later promoted to head teacher of Forehill School, which was the largest primary in the area. He retired from the chalk face in 1983.

An elder of the Church of Scotland for almost 47 years, he was inducted in Craigie Parish Church in 1954 and was an elder in St Andrew's, Ayr, until his death.

He was session clerk and keeper of the rolls, then latterly session clerk, until 1982. With his wife's help, he organised a club for senior citizens, with money raised being sent to a partner church in Kenya. His caring nature was reflected in the voluntary work he undertook weekly at the Ayr Hospice.

As well as returning to Malta on holiday many times, when he would be greeted by the locals as a friend and defender, he enjoyed bowling at Wattfield Bowling Club in Ayr, and golf at Seafield.

Robert Garven will be remembered as a sociable, caring and outgoing family man who was committed to children, his country, and his church. He leaves his wife Katharine, daughters Katharine and Mary, and two grandsons.

- Campbell Thomas

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