Boys' emotional visit to French war memorials
IT WAS a poignant moment during a school trip to France.
Pupils from Beverley Grammar School made an emotional visit to cemeteries and wartime battlefields on a memorable trip to Normandy in France.
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RESPECT: Beverley Grammar School pupils, from left, Ben Blissett, Harry Wells, George Wood, William Smith, Jack Head and Harry Pearson at the American Cemetery near Omaha Beach.
During their five-day visit, pupils from the boys' secondary school saw British, American and German soldiers' cemeteries.
Modern foreign languages teacher Claire Harris said visiting the cemeteries and the D-Day landing sites, including Omaha Beach, helped the students better understand their Second World War studies.
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She said: "The boys found the cemeteries both moving and fascinating and spent a long time reading every headstone.
"Some were particularly affected by the difference between the British and German graves, where there can be anything up to 11 or more bodies in one German plot.
"The German they had learnt this year helped them in reading these headstones."
In the British cemetery, pupils searched for members of the East Yorkshire Regiment.
Miss Harris said: "The boys looked for soldiers with their surnames so they could go home and find out if any were relations.
"It was great to see 12 and 13-year-old boys taking such an interest in their history and it made it all the more real by visiting the sights."
The 43-strong group also visited Bayeux, Caen and Paris.
Pupils visited the Musée de la Tapisserie to see the Bayeux Tapestry. At Caen, they visited the Mémorial de Caen, a museum and war memorial commemorating the Second World War and the Battle for Caen.
In Paris, pupils and staff enjoyed a boat trip on the Seine and a visit to the Eiffel Tower.
Miss Harris said the annual trip is designed to help pupils become fully immersed in the language and culture of France.
She said: "The boys have work booklets to complete in French and English each day and all speaking has to be in French.
"It's a trip that has run successfully for 14 years and it's an ideal opportunity for the boys to be immersed in the language and culture of France.
"It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and the students got a lot from it. They were all really keen to speak French.
"They were really happy with themselves when they understood something and many were fascinated by the differences in culture."
Head teacher Graeme Hodson said: "The visit is a trip primarily to enable the pupils to communicate with local people in their native language and is very important in terms of students' development and overall progression.
"It is always very important to get real-life experience outside of the classroom.
"It's all right reading about these things in text books but to experience the environment and atmosphere of the battlefields helps to put classroom learning into context."
Comments
by horbaczewski
Saturday, August 18 2012, 8:00PM
“Thiepval is incredibly emotional, visited twice to look up the details of relatives. If it doesn't move you, then you have a heart of stone. Beautifully cared for (by Continental Europeans...)”
by Warhog
Saturday, August 18 2012, 4:41PM
“On a drive back from Menorca in June I diverted to the Thiepval War Memorial in France at 3am.
I wanted to see the name of my paternal Grandad's brother, Tom Cocking, which is carved on the face of one of the huge columns at Thiepval.
A private in the Princess Alexandra's Own Yorkshire Regiment (which they are about to disband... politicians know no shame), he died with thousands of others in 1916 on the Somme, and his remains were never found.
The Memorial was closed and I had to bypass a bit of security to get in (no damage or disrespect of any kind was committed).
I was the first member of his family to visit the area where he died in 96 years, and it was emotionally overwhelming.
I managed to find his name among the thousands, and took a flash picture in the pitch black to show my children and grandchildren.
With muddy wet feet and damp knees I made my way back to my car and JUST made it to Calais for the morning ferry to Dover.
If I'd missed my crossing I wouldn't've cared.
It was one of the most worthwhile things that I've ever done, and I thank my lucky stars that such men gave everything for our freedom (and so that the Continental Europeans can continue to treat the English with hatred and contempt. Bless 'em).”