In 1915 South Africa sent one brigade of Infantry to support the Allied war efforton the Western Front. The 1st South African Infantry Brigade comprised four battalions with the 2nd Battalion being known as the Natal & OFS Battalion, containing many men from Durban and Pietermaritzburg. In 1915, there were only 120 boys at the school, of which twenty five ex-Glenwood pupils lost their lives as part of this Battalion during World War I Of those killed, four were killed during the Battle of Delville Wood, in The Somme region of France.. In 1939, at the start of World War II there were 490 pupils in the school and during the six years of war, 457 Old Boys served in East Africa, the Western Desert and Italy. Of these, 109 were in the South African or Royal Airforce. Out of the 457 who served, 120 old-boys lost their lives during this war. There is a very poignant picture of the school's 1st Rugby Team of 1935 where at least 15 of the 18 boys in the photograph volunteered for service in the war and six of those in the photograph were killed. These included Roy Gibson, son of Durban's Lady in White, and Clement McGarr, who was one of the prisoners of war to escape from Stalag Luft III as part of the "Great Escape". The six were:
C. Roy Gibson
J.Vic Rochford
Daniel J. Jacobs
Clement A. Neville McGarr
Rolf Meyer
Frank J. Ball
The following eulogy was added to the Glenwood Roll of Honour in December 1945:
Facilities
Glenwood High is one of the few Durban public schools with a boarding establishment. The boarding establishment, opened around 1935, is known as Gibson House. It was named after Roy Gibson, the first past pupil to be killed in World War 2 – and the son of "The Lady in White" who saw off soldiers at the docks embarking on ships for tours at the front during the Second World War. Gibson House is situated on the corner of Alan Paton and Esther Roberts Roads, a short walk from the main school. The original boarding school took only a small number of boys but has been expanded.
Trevor Kershaw Fraud Scandal
Trevor Kershaw, who was headmaster between 1999 and 2015, is due to stand trial for allegedly defrauding Glenwood High School. It is possible that he may alternatively be charged with theft. It has also been alleged that Kershaw interfered with the State's investigation. The provincial Department of Education is also conducting an investigation against him.
