Year 9 and 10 Visit Flanders Fields

On 2nd March, 16 year 9 and 10 students and their teachers headed off to northern France and Belgium to visit the battlefields and cemeteries of World War 1.

The students stayed at Ypres and visited preserved trenches at Vimy Ridge and Sanctuary wood, as well as visiting several cemeteries, including Tyne Cot, the world’s largest British military cemetery and scene of the famous battle of Passchendaele, and the German cemetery at Langemark.

Luis Bassett in year 10 had a particular link with the place and traced his great great uncle, Albert Henry Redman, who fought in the trenches from 1914 until he fell in Ypres in 1917. He is commemorated on a memorial stone in Tyne Cot.

On Thursday night the students assembled at the Menin Gate in Ypres for the nightly remembrance ceremony. At 8 o’clock each night, the road is closed and the last post is played before a 2 minutes’ silence. This ceremony has happened every night since 1929, stopping only during the Nazi occupation of the city.

The trip was led by Assistant Vice Principal and history teacher, John Humber, who has run the trip several times. He said, “The students were an absolute credit to the school. This trip really helps to bring the reality of war to life for the students. They study the topic in year 9 and also as part of their GCSE. Those who travel to the battlefields always achieve well because they show a great understanding and empathy with those for fought for our country.”