Davos, Switzerland Sunday Mercury & Kunzle

[PeckhamRose]

Hello everyone. It has been several years since I visited this group but only for this thread as I am not from Birmingham. And I suppose that's my point. People went to the Sanitorium Pro Juventute in Davos from all over the UK to our little Caselva unit, not just Birmingham, and I have no wish to upset anyone but I would suggest - especially if you are trying to find friends you may have known from Davos - that you have a look at the specific Facebook group. All my photos black and white and colour, as previously posted in about page 6 of this thread, are on there, plus dozens more from others who were at Caselva. I hope you are all well. For anyone who wants to join that group as well as stay in this one, here is the link, with respect and again with NO intention of stepping on anyone's toes (trying to be ingratiating as people can be so sensitive these days!) Attached is a group photo from my time there in 1971.

 

[PeckhamRose]

My mother, Nanette Scriven, was sent from the Birmingham Children's Hospital to The British Children's Home in Davos in June 1939 with a group of five other children. She was 11 years old. War broke out and they couldn't get home - so an initial stay of three months turned into three years. Their 'Swiss mother' at the British Children's Home was a Mrs Stockmeyer. My Mum was finally sent home with four Birmingham boys (Ken Fear, Victor Fletcher, Eddie Stretch - and another) in July 1942. Their journey home, avoiding the battlefields, was an adventure involving trains through France and Spain to Gibraltar and from thence on a troopship the SS Narkunda. This ship joined a convoy which took them past Spain's Atlantic coast, round the West coast of Ireland to the Scottish port of Greenock where they caught trains back to New Street. The B.B.C. contacted them and they were interviewed by Uncle Mac (Derek McCullough) for a Children's Hour programme broadcast at 5.30pm on 27 October 1942.

I wonder if anyone has any more details of the startling adventure which these children had. Particularly I'm interested in WHY the children were sent home in 1942 in the full rage of the war - and put on a ship when German U-boats were prowling the waters.

Hi - what an incredible story. You MAY be lucky with a result on this if you look up the Facebook page for the kids who went to Davos. Start typing "People who went to Davos Switzerland for Asthma....." and the group will come up. I look forward to reading any follow up to this. If they could all be found it would be worthy of a documentary, or even an episode of The Reunion on BBC Radio 4 produced by David Prest's Whistledown production company.

 

[keith jones]

Re: Davos, Switzerland Sunday Mercury & Kunzle --August 2013

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Those photos great remembered it so well I keep saying I'm going back to see .

 

[deborahgaffney]

Hello everyone, I live in London and occasionally google "Pro Juventute" + Davos and found your thread. I have read the pages and read some great memories. I was there at the same time as one of the contributors. My name is Belinda and I was there for just three months in 1971. I had come from boardings schools for asthmatics called Gap House in Broadstairs, from ages 7 till 9, then Laleham School in Margate from 9 till 13, but was terribly unhappy and still very ill. So I was then told one day that I'd be going to Switzerland and could stay there 18 to 24 months. I was immediately well, and so started playing up and organising break outs and switching our urine samples for lemonade and so on. After 3 months they sent me home but I then was well enough to go to normal schools. Anyway, whilst at Davos, I was there from May till August 1971, and I took a lot of photographs. I have fond memories actually, and had forgotten than I was sent home for being naughty till my Mum reminded me a year ago! Girls I remember were Gina (who I met in Limehouse many many years ago), Sue Cox (who lived in Bethnal Green and I met her again in my early 20s - I'm 54 now), Sandra (Dowling?) and many others. I even wrote their names on the backs of the photos. Such an organised little girl! I remember the 'machines' we used which I am sure were not salbutamol, and had distinctive smells. Two were placed in the gym, and one on each floor. I would love to know what they were. One guy who arrived before me had come from Wales but within two weeks had lost his accent. I found there to be no bullying (something I had suffered at the previous school). Indeed we were all very much together.

Did you know anyone by the name of Deborah Gaffney?

 

[keith jones]

I am Malcolm Gardner ,and was in Davos from April 1965 to June 1966. I can relate to many of the stories on this site .and many more besides .Miss Maggs our teacher ,and Saturday writing letters home . Sister Hildergart,the English nurse that was with us sometimes . The large Swiss gentleman that used to take us to football in Kur Park ,The Spanish ladies in the kitchen that used to traet us like their own children. The food was OK .but remember the yellow rice dish that we used to call"mice's ears" ?
We had the freedom to wander werever we wanted to in the woods ,and made ice slides in the winter . Ice skating and sledging throughout the winter. PE lessons where we done our breathing exercises.
People I remember were Stuart, Derek , Tim ,Roselyn,Zeke,Tich,and many many more.
When we had our heads shaved for head lice one boy from Ireland was clear ,but had his head shaved for laughing at us all .
I was the youngest ,at the time,as I was only eight ,but hated it every four to six months when people went home ,and I had to stay ,but when it was my time to go home I wanted to stay.
Sadly one poor girl .who was about twelve .did not return home ,as she died in early 1965 ,due to her severe asthma ,and I remember her funeral being the week before or after Ash Wednesday.
Hope all this is acurate . but I have many more thoughts and good memories .In todays politically correct society no young child would be sent away for such a long and enjoyable time to go home to a new healthier life. Think of the mine field for doing the risk assessments.

I was in davos from April 67 until October trying to find the lad I went over with his name was jhon hemming I can't remember your name

 

[danishlock]

Hi Charles,
I was at Caselva 1966/67. I remember Susan Wilson who was a very small girl who also suffered from dreadful eczema and she shared a room with Rosalyn (can't remember her surname). I knew Susan had died but I didn't know when or where she was buried? I had looked through the archive records held in a locked room in St Luke's Church. The Pastor let me in to try to find the record but in vain. My husband & I spent a few hours looking in the cemetery but this was also in vain. I was then wondering if her body had been flown home?
I am a member on facebook for those who went to Davos and I cannot find anyone on this site who was there in 66/67.
I was contacted this week by a lady who was at Caselva after me and we intend to meet for a chat when we are out of Lockdown.
It would be helpful to have any information regarding Susan please.
I don't know when you were in Davos or where you come from?
My husband & I have been to Davos most years for holidays but I truly think in the present circumstances it will be sometime before we may return.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Anne

 

[danishlock]

Hi Anne: I was at Caselva from November 1967 to June 1968. Susan Wilson was buried in Davos, at the Waldfriedhof, and her grave was marked by a wooden cross reading (as I recall from visits in 1976 and 1988) “Susan Wilson 1951-1968”; “Mole” to us, she was 16 when she died, and very small. I learnt much later that all such crosses are removed after 25 years; not yet knowing this, I spent some time on my next visit, in 1998, on a futile search for her grave.

At the funeral in April 1968 we were instructed to be extremely quiet and respectful of her father —who had lost to asthma his wife and now both of his daughters, his only children. He was probably aged no more than 45, and his tall stooping figure and gaunt features are still vivid in recollection.
Charles

 

[Astoness]

Hi Anne: I was at Caselva from November 1967 to June 1968. Susan Wilson was buried in Davos, at the Waldfriedhof, and her grave was marked by a wooden cross reading (as I recall from visits in 1976 and 1988) “Susan Wilson 1951-1968”; “Mole” to us, she was 16 when she died, and very small. I learnt much later that all such crosses are removed after 25 years; not yet knowing this, I spent some time on my next visit, in 1998, on a futile search for her grave.

At the funeral in April 1968 we were instructed to be extremely quiet and respectful of her father —who had lost to asthma his wife and now both of his daughters, his only children. He was probably aged no more than 45, and his tall stooping figure and gaunt features are still vivid in recollection.
Charles

how very sad...the poor man

lyn

 

[Lawrie H]

I was in Davos for 6 months in 1977, i have fond memories. I was literally covered in eczema when i got there, from head to toe, it was inbetween my toes, fingers, even in my ears, literally i was covered. I was terribly thin as well, 13 years old, i weighed under 5 stone.
when i got to the unit I wasn’t made to feel that welcome by some of the other kids. I was the last English person sent to the unit as it was closing.

there were girls and boys there when i arrived but i was told that most of them were returning home and the ones staying were in need of an extra 6 months, some were from Birmingham, some Liverpool and some Northampton. We was in a building up the road when i arrived, not the unit with the floors, I always thought the house was caselva and the bigger house with three floors pictured above in some posts was Pro Juventute, I must be wrong about that. I remember the breakfasts, my favourite day was sundays as we got Chicken and chips, lol

The first morning there was my first morning away from home in my life and I was a bit homesick but that soon passed, it was Very deep snow outside and the rest went out on the morning shopping, i stayed behind because i was examined by a doctor and sister fisher. Now sister fisher was quite scary to me but after i came back i missed her!

the next day we was allowed out and me and some of the boys, Mark, Glugg, and Stephen went up to Schatzalp, on our own i may add, it was the deepest snow i had ever seen, in some parts up to my waist, we walked as high as the avalanche barriers and i was thinking i could start an avalanche, lol. later that month we went tobogganing, ski-ing, ice skating, i loved it all. once the snow had dissppeared... (about 12 weeks almost half my stay

we had walks to some really lovely places around Davos and beyond, we had train journeys and walks round the lake, Davof dorf, Platz, Chur, Klosters and all over. football consumed a lot of days and i was told i was quite good at the time by Richard, I remember it being the first time someone had taken the time to praise my efforts, he also taught me to swim. I remember the English Church, St Luke’s and we visited it on some sundays.

as i said we was in the house when i got there up a side road but after a while a lot of people went home and only 6 of us remained..... all boys and we was moved to the building with three balconies. downstairs on the bottom were very young children and on the top were swiss, Italian, and German young ladies same age as us. Whilst there i became very fond of two girls, Urina and Claudia, Claudia was swiss.

the boys that remained with me were (Mark Harrison Northampton, Andrew Glover Hinckley, Andrew Jowsey Birmingham, a small lad called Lawrence Holmes from Northampton and Stephen Warwick from Northampton. we also had two German older boys with us and a lad called Johan from Belguim, who i remember crying when we left. We was all on the middle floor

of course i didn't want to go home.....who did??? when i got home back in England my eczema had gone completely, but alas my asthma hadn't although it was a lot better. whilst out there we had two teachers one called Carrie and one Richard, think they were going out with each other. we all watched football on TV once a week, Football, usually a sunday when they showed the English games. we also watched the 1977 FA Cup final between Liverpool and Manchester United. Abba and the Beatles were the big groups people liked when i was there.
one thing that did happen whilst i was there was my introduction to Ventolin Inhalers, one day whilst walking i became wheezy, first time and i was given a dose of Ventolin. in an instant my wheezing went

what was the miracle inhaler i asked everyone and why hadn't i had one in England , lol think they were new but i don't know, i got one when i got home and have been on them ever since. i started a facebook group for Caselva and Davos https://www.facebook.com/groups/projuventutedavos/ (link updated Aug 1st 2020) and will of course link back to this thread, would love few a from here to join and of course come on here and reminice

i have a few photo's and my memories but one day i hope to speak with some that was there in Davos. Sister Fisher bless her must be well into 80's if she's still alive, think she came from Broadstairs.

as someone said above , Davos possibly saved my life and i'm grateful to have gone there even if it didn't cure me, Bryan

Hi Bryan,

Its great to see your post- I am Lawrence, the small lad from Northampton.

Its fantastic to read your memories- that chime exactly with what I remember. It all seems so long ago, but it remains a magical time in my thoughts- I have been to Davos several times over the years since and I can't help revisiting the buildings we stayed at- Caselva, SPro Juventute building, and where we spent time- St Lukes, the skating rink, Schatzalp toboggan run, even the Migros supermarket!

Being the youngest kid I benefited hugely from growing up amongst a great bunch of guys, and Sister Fisher, Carrie and Richard really looked after us. I feel privileged to have experienced it all!
Lawrie

 

[Bryan J]

Hi Bryan,

Its great to see your post- I am Lawrence, the small lad from Northampton.

Its fantastic to read your memories- that chime exactly with what I remember. It all seems so long ago, but it remains a magical time in my thoughts- I have been to Davos several times over the years since and I can't help revisiting the buildings we stayed at- Caselva, SPro Juventute building, and where we spent time- St Lukes, the skating rink, Schatzalp toboggan run, even the Migros supermarket!

Being the youngest kid I benefited hugely from growing up amongst a great bunch of guys, and Sister Fisher, Carrie and Richard really looked after us. I feel privileged to have experienced it all!
Lawrie

Lawrence , we’ve been looking for you, can You contact me please , we all have a Facebook group. We have been looking for you for the best part of 5 years. We are on Facebook

 

[LucyMaskell58]

My mother, Nanette Scriven, was sent from the Birmingham Children's Hospital to The British Children's Home in Davos in June 1939 with a group of five other children. She was 11 years old. War broke out and they couldn't get home - so an initial stay of three months turned into three years. Their 'Swiss mother' at the British Children's Home was a Mrs Stockmeyer. My Mum was finally sent home with four Birmingham boys (Ken Fear, Victor Fletcher, Eddie Stretch - and another) in July 1942. Their journey home, avoiding the battlefields, was an adventure involving trains through France and Spain to Gibraltar and from thence on a troopship the SS Narkunda. This ship joined a convoy which took them past Spain's Atlantic coast, round the West coast of Ireland to the Scottish port of Greenock where they caught trains back to New Street. The B.B.C. contacted them and they were interviewed by Uncle Mac (Derek McCullough) for a Children's Hour programme broadcast at 5.30pm on 27 October 1942.

I wonder if anyone has any more details of the startling adventure which these children had. Particularly I'm interested in WHY the children were sent home in 1942 in the full rage of the war - and put on a ship when German U-boats were prowling the waters.

Hi Robin - I have just returned from a short holiday in Davos where my mother Diana Pughe was also in The British Children's Home from July 1937 ( aged 7 yrs) with severe bronchial asthma & then contracted TB so spent a year in a Sanitorium before returning to the BCH, Davos until the end of WW2 in 1945.
She was not with your Mum Nanette on their adventurous journey back to Birmingham but on going through her possessions after she sadly passed in October 2020 we came across letters about a small 2 day trip from the home to Rutli which your Mum Nanette & Eddie & my dear Mum went on in I think 1941plus other papers mentioning Nanette. I do remember Mum talking about being friends in the home with Nanette & I know she kept in touch for most of her life with the other children she was friendly with in the home - they were as she said "her family" while out in Davos.
I do hope you read my reply (I know it's 5 years since you originally posted) but I was so surprised to see your Mum's name in your post while I was actually out in Davos - it would be lovely to get in touch.