Visit to the Battlefields

[Bombadier]

On Friday 24th March, a party of year 9 pupils went to the Battlefields as part of their course. Can you imagine the injustice in not inviting a newly appointed science technician to go with them .

The following report, written by one of the pupils appeared in the school's newsletter and I thought that pals might be interested in it.

"Year nines went on an educational trip to Belgium's historic town of Ypres.

Our first stop was at a museum called "in Flanders Field" which was built in the famous cloth hall after it was reconstructed in 1962 because of heavy bombardment in November 1914 by the German forces. The museum gives you an insight of what took place from 1914 to 1918. We saw original film footage of the devastated city and battlefield aroung it. We could listen to songs, read poems and stories of The Christmas truce of 1914, the first gas attack, and the real experiences of soldiers in No-Man's Land, with reconstructions and models. After the museum we went to the emotionsl and moving Tyne Cot cemetary. This is the largest Commonwealth War Cemetary in the world. The identical tombstones carved out of white Portland Stone depicted the Christian Cross or the Jewish Star of David some with names but the majority; "Known only unto God".

The screen wall at the back of the cemetary contains the names of 39,957 missing soldiers who fell after 15th August 1917. The other memorial The Menin Gate bears the names of 54,896 soldiers of the Ypres Salient who were reported missing between the outbreak of war in 1914 and 15th August 1917. Every evening at 20:00 a deeply moving ceremony takes place under the vast arch. The traffic stops and the buglers play the "Last Post".

To conclude our rip, we went shopping in Ypres (with countless alluring chocolate shops!)"

It appears that the trip had a moving effect on the pupils and, according to the helpers who went with them, their behaviour was exemplary.

Nigel

[Owen D]

Glad they enjoyed the trip and got something from it.

Wish the good-side of our school children was reported more.

[jemcareessex]

Its nice to know youngesters appreciated what happened in Flanders and that they can still be moved by it. I have been to the Menin Gate a few times in the evening and there have always been British kids there, they have always "done us proud" so we cant always say they are yobs eh?

[truthergw]

On Friday 24th March, a party of year 9 pupils went to the Battlefields as part of their course. Can you imagine the injustice in not inviting a newly appointed science technician to go with them .

The following report, written by one of the pupils appeared in the school's newsletter and I thought that pals might be interested in it.

..................................

It appears that the trip had a moving effect on the pupils and, according to the helpers who went with them, their behaviour was exemplary.

Nigel

I don't know how old year 9 pupils are but this was a very readable report. The visit certainly seems to have made an impression on this pupil. This is what I hope for when I hear of school trips. A good time and something learned.

[ianw]

I think we are often a bit hard on our children and forget perhaps what we were really like at their age ( We did some really appalling things on school trips in the late 60's (and were supposed to be responsible grammar school pupils !)

I have generally been happy with school trip behaviour I have observed on the Western Front - and often very impressed indeed. But whatever we think , it is their heritage but we have to pass it on to them.

[Patrick H]

I agree with the above. On my trips to the battlefields I have never seen our schoolchildren do anything to upset me or others. Always well behaved and in many cases visibly moved by what they have experienced. The only place I have seen any "larking around" was at the Hill 62 museum but then if you put a bunch of kids in the trenches its to be expected. Even then they were no problem and soon calmed down after a loud call from their teacher.

I was also pleased one evening at the Menin Gate to come across 100 youngsters from my old school. They were polite, friendly and interested in the ceremony.

Perhaps they are only hooligans on their native soil ??

Patrick