A L ‘Algi’ Sockett (known to his colleagues as ‘Sox’), passed away on 3rd January aged 102.

Algi was born in March 1913 and was a master at Monmouth School from 1950 to 1978, latterly as Head of Classics.

He had served in photographic intelligence during the War, monitoring the effectiveness of Allied bombing of Germany, using the skills he had developed as an archaeologist in interpreting photographs of sites of potential digs. He recalled how Churchill once visited Bomber Command at its headquarters deep under the Chilterns and asked Sox for an explanation of what his section did. Sox gave an account which Churchill then relayed to Mrs Churchill, who had joined the group a little later, impressing Sox with the accuracy and incisiveness of the way he did it. As has so often been the case with staff at the School, Sox’s contribution went far beyond the classroom. With his wife Daphne, he was the first Housemaster of St James House, the first cohort of which contained two future Oxford University professors and a future rugby international, as well as being School Librarian. Whenever he could he would also take boys out on archaeological digs, sometimes surreptitiously, when they should have been at rugby practice. OM Paul Roberts, the curator of the fabulous 2013 Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum exhibition at the British Museum, has paid tribute to Sox’s influence.

In March 2013, Sox celebrated his 100th birthday at a celebratory lunch at Monmouth School, impressing people with the sharpness of his mind which remained active until the end of his very long life.

His funeral will take place at 12 noon on Friday 22nd January in St Mary’s Priory Church.