History brought to life
By the time they arrive back tomorrow night, they’ll be experts on the First World War, and have knowledge of trench warfare and learn of the terrible loss of young lives during the four-year conflict
During their trip the children visited Newfoundland Park Memorial where the 29th Division took to battle. They remembered the Canadian soldiers who fought for the Allies in WW1, and explored one of the Western Front's best-preserved trench networks. They visited Lochnagar Crater created by a mine explosion on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, Lochnagar Crater is the largest surviving crater on the Western Front.
There was also a visit to the Thiepval Memorial the truly humbling memorial to the more than 72,000 Missing of the Somme and walked through the iconic memorial archway. Thiepval is the largest Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing in the world.
Other highlights to this thought-provoking school trip were visits to Wellington Quarry built for the British Spring offensive of 1917, the Wellington Quarry was an immense underground barracks, with space for up to 24,000 soldiers and even its own hospital, and the Passchendaele 1917 Memorial Museum. This fascinating museum commemorates the half a million casualties of the battle of Passchendaele.
Tonight, our pupils will witnessing the nightly Last Post Ceremony- a deeply moving experience that we are sure they will never forget. An unforgettable trip all round, thanks to all our amazing staff who took them.
