吃瓜现场

Writes Michael Hale, Head of History

The annual Fourth Form History trip to the Battlefields was聽a rip-roaring聽success.

After a聽traffic-disrupted journey on Thursday, we arrived聽in聽late afternoon聽at聽Ieper聽(if a Flemish speaker).聽Or聽Ypres聽(if a聽Wallonian). Or聽Wipers聽(if you聽were a聽First World War聽British聽Tommy who聽struggled聽with聽the name and聽so聽corrupted聽it to something more manageable).

One in four of the British and Commonwealth soldiers who died in the war fell聽on the 鈥淪alient鈥�,聽the name given to the curve of the Allied front to the east of Ypres鈥痶hat鈥痯rotruded into German held territory.聽It鈥痺as also鈥痺here sixty-seven Old 吃瓜现场鈥� made the ultimate sacrifice聽during the Great War.

On Friday, we visited Essex Farm cemetery, where聽the聽Canadian聽John McCrae聽composed聽perhaps the聽most famous poem of the war聽鈥業n Flanders Fields鈥�.聽Ms Shockley performed a beautiful rendition of the poem (the first of many), and we paid our respects to Harry Squier OMT and Charles Thompson OMT.

We then proceeded to the German military cemetery of Langemark as so often the Germans are the missing person at the table when we commemorate the Great War. At Langemark, 44,324-war dead lie in an atmosphere that offers a stark contrast to the British and Commonwealth cemeteries. Mr Farrar Bell gave a tremendous account of the German experience in Western Flanders.

Up next聽was the聽Hooge Crater Museum. Whilst poking around the excellent museum聽brim-full聽of Great War聽paraphernalia, we聽encountered聽a superb聽exhibition about聽the聽German fighter聽ace,聽Baron聽Manfred聽von Richthofen聽aka聽鈥渢he Red Baron鈥�.

After聽lunch聽we聽headed聽for聽Tynecot, the鈥痩argest British and Commonwealth War Cemetery in the world.聽The聽scale聽of the cemetery聽is such that聽it聽prompted聽King George V聽to聽remark聽upon his聽visit in聽1922:

We can聽truly say聽that the whole circuit of the Earth is girdled with the graves of our dead.聽In the course of聽my pilgrimage, I have many times asked myself whether there can be more potent advocates of peace upon the Earth through the years to come, than this massed multitude of silent witnesses to the desolation of war.

Whilst at聽Tynecot,聽we remembered聽a number of聽OMTs, including the 1911 1st XI cricket captain Frederick Greenhill.

As our聽first full day聽on the聽Salient聽drew聽to a聽close, we laid a wreath on the grave of John Barrett OMT in New Irish Farm.聽Twenty-six聽former pupils of 吃瓜现场鈥� School lost their lives during the聽Third Battle of Ypres聽and聽John聽Barrett was shot dead while leading a successful capture of an enemy machine gun on 31 July 1917, the first day of the聽battle.

That聽evening聽we were privileged to聽witness聽the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate,聽one of the two great Commonwealth monuments to the fallen with no known grave on the Western Front (the other is at Thiepval on the Somme).

On Saturday,聽we聽enjoyed a spot of聽present buying聽(and impromptu cricket)聽in聽and around聽the vibrant market聽in the聽town square. It was then off to聽the聽magnificent聽Passchendaele Museum, before making our way聽to the south of Ypres to the Messines Ridge.聽Here the British detonated nineteen enormous mines聽within thirty seconds of each other聽in聽the successful聽offensive聽of聽June聽1917.聽We visited聽the Lone Tree mine,聽the largest single mine used on the ridge,聽that created the Pool of Peace.

Before we broke for lunch, we paid homage to聽Private聽Vincent Mulligan, a relative of Thurstan H.聽(Fourths).聽Born in Rockhampton, Queensland, he was part of the聽11th聽Australian聽Light Trench Mortar Battery, who first聽saw action at the Battle of Messines in June 1917. He was killed in action聽aged twenty years old聽on 23 June聽1917聽and is buried in Messines Ridge British Cemetery聽alongside聽nearly 1,500聽men from across Britain and the Commonwealth.

We then made our way to Ploegsteert for an alfresco lunch in the glorious sunshine. This was the site of ferocious fighting in late 1914 and early 1915 and from January to May 1916 saw Winston Churchill serve as Commanding Officer (Lieutenant-Colonel) of the 6th Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. We learned about the adventures of Henry Stephenson OMT and Arthur Bassingham OMT, who wrote a joint letter to school on 17 December 1914 thanking it for parcels of supplies, which they had shared with as many OMTs as possible. They were destined to spend Christmas billeted in鈥痑 cow-shed loft, but Arthur Bassingham was tragically killed by a sniper on Christmas Eve 1914 and is buried at Ploegsteert. His friend Henry Stephenson was later killed at the Second Battle of Ypres and is remembered on the Menin Gate.

We then finished our鈥痶our聽by stopping off聽en聽route to Calais聽at聽Lijssenthoek,聽where we remembered four OMTs: Arthur Botham, Francis Hewkley, Harold Noakes, and John Raphael.聽As is customary, we laid鈥痑 wreath on Raphael鈥檚 grave and鈥痮bserved鈥痑 minute鈥檚 silence, which brought our memorable pilgrimage to the Salient to a close.

The thirty boys enjoyed the history聽of the Great War and聽learning about聽the聽OMTs聽who served.聽We were聽also聽treated to聽some聽sensational war poetry聽and the聽heat聽of聽a blazing sun. Ms Shockley, Mrs Hale, and Mr Farrar Bell were聽of聽enormous help and wonderful company聽throughout,聽and I would like to thank all who made the trip possible.