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David Parker Ronald Charles Abel Peter David Anthony Mansel H. T. Barnes Ronald Georges Basset Brian Lendon Berry Gwynfryn Beynon Stuart Roland Booton Leslie Clifford Buckler Lyndon Dabonn Church David Rennes Davies Elfed Davies Glyndwr Thomas Davies Neville Davies Hugh Llewellyn Dennis Cledwyn Edwards Donald Trevor Edwards Ieuan Evans John Duncan Evans Allan Everett John Wyndham Evill Leonard James Fey

Kenneth Forward Glyn Gregory Elwyn John Griffiths David Harries David Alun Hinton Leslie Hopkins Edwin Sidney Howells Islwyn Jenkin Hughes Ronald Sidney James John James Jenkins Sefton Eynon Jones Thomas John Jones David Courtney Kevill Colin William Lawrence Norman Lewis Dennis Lynch Cenydd Morgan Colin Morgan Gordon Richard Morris James Ronald Morris John Oliver Terence O’Gorman

Desmond Oakley David Richard Owen Joseph Edward Pearce Antony Arthur Pook Geoffrey W. W. Pontin John Stanley Prosser David Norman Reynolds John Roderick Charles Gilbert Romney Walter Arthur Ryan Alfred Thomas David Ronald Thomas John Everett Thomas James Alistair Thomas Thomas Gwynfryn Thomas William J. S. Thomas Alfred Densley Trick David Benjamin Vaughan Berian Williams Dennis Williams Emyr Williams Frederick Leslie Bishop

The three pupils below joined or re-joined in the spring or summer terms of 1940, and were placed in the fourth and sixth forms.

Geoffrey Owen Williams Alwyn Williams

John Davies

The group of pupils below also entered the school in the autumn of 1940 from other secondary schools, or rejoined the school after leaving previously. They joined various year groups at ABGS according to their age.

David Avanfryn Hill Graham Chisalm Attilio Marenghi

Ewert Byron Rees John Lynn Christopher Lewis Bernard Kahn

Notes

Mansel Barnes has an entry in the Former Pupils section.

Brian Lendon Berry has an entry in the Former Pupils section.

Elfed Davies became a primary school headmaster in Hirwaun. He has written several local history books, and contributes items to this website.

Colin William Lawrence (1930–2002), had a long association with Cwmbach Male Voice Choir being appointed as deputy conductor in 1968. Later, he became the Musical Director of the choir, 1983–1991. He was also headteacher at Caradog School in Aberdare. He was the son of Coun. William Lawrence, at one time Leader of Aberdare UDC, and for many years he was ‘Father of the Council’. Colin was brought up in Neville Terrace, Gadlys.

John Oliver returned to ABGS in January 1957 to teach mathematics. He left in 1970 to be Head of Maths at Mountain Ash Comprehensive School.

D. R. Owen has an entry in the Former Pupils section.

Tony Pook became a local champion cyclist, holding the Aberdare to Cardiff record in 1953. He was a BR Signalman at Abernant, Robertstown and Hirwaun, and police officer in the South Wales Police. He had a lifelong passion for Steam Engines spending many years as Museum curator volunteer at Loughborough and Ruddington Steam Heritage Centres.

Geoff Pontin (1929–1985), married Helen Rosemary Ceredig Jones, (1929–2018) in 1954, who was the daughter of the schools Latin Master, Ernest Ceredig Jones. Geoff was the son of another former pupil, Walter Pontin of Robertstown, (ABGS 1908–1914). Geoff’s association with the school goes back further as his maternal grandfather was the school governor and barrister County Councillor T. Walter Williams (1858–1929). Geoff Pontin forged a career across the border in England but died relatively young, aged 55, in 1985 in Rottingdean, Kent.

Walter Ryan (1930–2009), was a highly talented musician and amateur actor. He taught at local schools and was a most valued teacher of English at Aberdare Girls’ Grammar School. His wife Margaret taught music at the same school. In the 1960s the Ryan’s home in Gadlys Terrace hosted chamber music concerts in which their grand piano featured prominently.

Alwyn Williams has an entry in the Former Pupils section.

Bernard Kahn attended the school for just one year in the sixth form, 1940–41. In 1945 he married Cynthia Cohen who was the daughter of Ruth Goldberg who, with her husband Harry, ran ‘Jane Cooper,’ the ladies’ clothes shop in Cardiff Street. Bernard took over his father's factory manufacturing materials for the printing industry in Cardiff; later in 1953 he moved the business to Surrey. His wife Cynthia wrote the autobiographical book Wild Water Lilies most of which is set in wartime Aberdare and describes life growing up in Cynon Valley during the Second World War.
Wild Water Lilies, Cynthia Kahn, Beack Publications, 2005; ISBN 0-9550293-0-9.
Bernard's business is now called Digital Electronic Products, Ltd., and is still run by the Kahn family.

Peter Anthony, Walter Ryan, Geoff Pontin and Hugh Dennis are pictured in this informal cricket team.

 

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