School trip

[Scully]

My son, who is 15, is going to France/Belgium in July to visit Flanders and the war graves.

They will visit Ypres, Passchendaele, the Menin Gate and several other destinations.

Ours is a very old Grammar school and there is a plaque and a photograph in its library donated in the 1920's I think, by the parents of Laurie Nelson, a former student of the school who was killed on the Somme in March 1915 at the age of 19.

The pupils who will visit the graves in July will be visiting his actual grave and laying a commemorative wreath at his headstone. As far as we know it is the first time any students from the school have done this.

I thought this gesture from the school was very apt and more than a little touching, and although my son is only 15 I've told him not to be surprised nor ashamed if he finds himself a little emotional.

 

[fenboy]

A nice gesture by the school, I will be amazed if he does not feel emotional.

It's a shame all school children do not make such a trip.

[loriusgarrulus]

What a nice idea.

 

My son visited the war graves and battlefields in Franceduring his army training. He found it very emotional.

[southeastpete]

I wish I had with school. Maybe when my children are older I can take them.

[Munzy]

I did this exact same trip at his age (17 years ago now... where does the time go!) and it was incredibly moving.

 

I can still remember vividly standing at Menin Gate whilst a lone trumpet played the last post. I had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat then as I do now writing this.

 

Your son is lucky to be able to see this and his school should be commended. We must never forget.

[Fisherman Mike]

My son, who is 15, is going to France/Belgium in July to visit Flanders and the war graves.

They will visit Ypres, Passchendaele, the Menin Gate and several other destinations.

Ours is a very old Grammar school and there is a plaque and a photograph in its library donated in the 1920's I think, by the parents of Laurie Nelson, a former student of the school who was killed on the Somme in March 1915 at the age of 19.

The pupils who will visit the graves in July will be visiting his actual grave and laying a commemorative wreath at his headstone. As far as we know it is the first time any students from the school have done this.

I thought this gesture from the school was very apt and more than a little touching, and although my son is only 15 I've told him not to be surprised nor ashamed if he finds himself a little emotional.

 

Political banter aside that will be the making of him and is indeed a fine gesture.

 

If you have been yourself you will know what a emotional and extremely humbling experience it is.

 

100 years ago this week my late Grandfather disembarked in the Gallipoli peninsula with the Royal Gloucester Hussars aged just 19. He actually saw close combat against the Turks in the assault on Chocolate Hill alongside the son of the Lord of the nearby Manor.. Viscount Quenington who later died of wounds sustained in vicious fighting against the Turkish Forces. http://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/cathedral/memorials/WW1/Viscount-Quenington

 

We always tried to get him to visit when He was alive but he was a simple Farm hand and never had the inclination to do so nor to talk about the war at all. he was with us I'm sure when we made the trip a few years back.

 

Coincidentally I believe this week also marks the 100th anniversary of the death of poet Rupert Brooke who died on his way to Gallipoli I would imagine the War Poets are recited at your sons Grammar School particularly the Dymock Poets who also have a tenuous link to the County.

 

This weekend, every year, I lay a simple posy at my grandfathers grave, toast him and thank him for my life.

 

"If I should die, think only this of me:

That there's some corner of a foreign field

That is for ever England. There shall be

In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;

A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,

Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,

A body of England's, breathing English air,

Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

 

And think, this heart, all evil shed away,

A pulse in the eternal mind, no less

Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;

Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;

And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,

In hearts at peace, under an English heaven."

 

Rupert Brooke

 

Edited April 29, 2015 by Fisherman Mike

[Scully]

Nice post Mike.

I have visited only one war cemetery in France on a flying visit whilst in Dunkirk many years ago and as small as it was in comparison I was very moved by the experience. I have vowed to go to visit sometime and still intend to. My grandfather on my Mothers side fought at Mons and Ypres, but as yet have not traced my grandfathers military history on my Fathers side, though I know he served, only to die of throat cancer after being hit in the throat by a cricket ball when my Father was 13.

At the meeting at school this evening I was sat next to a bloke called ****** Pollard, whom I've known for some years, whose son is also going on the trip. What I didn't know is that his brother excavates war sites and trenches almost exclusively in France and Belgium ( but has also supervised digs in Gallipoli ) and has featured on Time Team, and is one half of 'Two Men in a Trench'.

He was commissioned to locate the bodies of seven Australian servicemen somewhere in France, and succeeded eventually. It must be a fascinating rewarding but at times, very emotional job.

By coincidence my son and me are off to London on Friday 'til Sunday, and as the Imperial War Museum are basing their displays on a year by year basis of the Great War, this weekends display should be mostly about Gallipoli, so we're going to spend some time in there. Looking forward to it.

[panoma1]

Seeing the never ending rows of white gravestones most marked "a soldier known unto god" in the many cemeteries is very poignant! makes you think of the obscene waste of life and sheer futility of it all, though they are beautifully looked after maintained.

If they can they should visit the preserved trenches and museum at Hill 62 and Sanctuary wood outside Ypres that is very moving the shattered tree stumps from the shelling are still standing in the wood, a walk around gives you time to try to imagine the unimaginable.

As well as the Menin Gate and the thousands of names of the fallen commemorated on its walls, the war museum in the centre of Ypres is very interesting and will help him understand the magnitude of what happened in the Ypres Salient, Ypres itself was totally flattened by the shelling and subsequently rebuilt after the war......

I Hope he enjoys the trip, in my opinion it is something everyone should do!

[aris]

Was there 3 weeks ago - really worth visiting. Also went to the Hill 62 memorial and the sancurary wood where they have some preserved WW1 trenches. Very moving indeed.

[grrclark]

I have read quite a few posts on PW from about visiting sites of war graves, or in a similar theme concentration camps, and often times it is from some of the posters who are a bit more ardent in sharing their views, yet to a man every single post has been humble in respect to how it has been a very emotional experience.

 

I have not visited any of those sites and through reading these posts it has stirred a sense of duty in me that it is something I both should and want to do.

 

I think that without visiting them I will never truly appreciate the magnitude of loss and selflessness of those who were involved. I have read about it and know what the numbers mean, but it almost seems to be an injustice to the memory of so very many not to make time to go and experience first hand and pay respect.

 

I'm very sorry that my school didn't do what your young lads school is doing Scully.

Edited April 29, 2015 by grrclark

[WinchesterDave]

I've been going to northern France/Belgium since a young young lad, almost every year, no matter how many times I go, it doesn't get old, emotions are there constantly, I find it incredibly moving. I love going over. Having a fascination in the great War, I would go over more if I could. My brother has now set up his own battlefield tour operating company, due to his passion for it also. side note if anyone is interested in going over on a tour I can give you details.

Edited April 29, 2015 by WinchesterDave

[keg]

Political banter aside that will be the making of him and is indeed a fine gesture.

 

If you have been yourself you will know what a emotional and extremely humbling experience it is.

 

100 years ago this week my late Grandfather disembarked in the Gallipoli peninsula with the Royal Gloucester Hussars aged just 19. He actually saw close combat against the Turks in the assault on Chocolate Hill alongside the son of the Lord of the nearby Manor.. Viscount Quenington who later died of wounds sustained in vicious fighting against the Turkish Forces. http://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/cathedral/memorials/WW1/Viscount-Quenington

 

We always tried to get him to visit when He was alive but he was a simple Farm hand and never had the inclination to do so nor to talk about the war at all. he was with us I'm sure when we made the trip a few years back.

 

Coincidentally I believe this week also marks the 100th anniversary of the death of poet Rupert Brooke who died on his way to Gallipoli I would imagine the War Poets are recited at your sons Grammar School particularly the Dymock Poets who also have a tenuous link to the County.

 

This weekend, every year, I lay a simple posy at my grandfathers grave, toast him and thank him for my life.

 

"If I should die, think only this of me:

That there's some corner of a foreign field

That is for ever England. There shall be

In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;

A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,

Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,

A body of England's, breathing English air,

Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

 

And think, this heart, all evil shed away,

A pulse in the eternal mind, no less

Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;

Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;

And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,

In hearts at peace, under an English heaven."

Rupert Brooke

 

One of my favourites from the War Poets

[keg]

I have read quite a few posts on PW from about visiting sites of war graves, or in a similar theme concentration camps, and often times it is from some of the posters who are a bit more ardent in sharing their views, yet to a man every single post has been humble in respect to how it has been a very emotional experience.

 

I have not visited any of those sites and through reading these posts it has stirred a sense of duty in me that it is something I both should and want to do.

 

I think that without visiting them I will never truly appreciate the magnitude of loss and selflessness of those who were involved. I have read about it and know what the numbers mean, but it almost seems to be an injustice to the memory of so very many not to make time to go and experience first hand and pay respect.

 

I'm very sorry that my school didn't do what your young lads school is doing Scully.

Very true.

 

I can also recommend visiting the Normandy landing beaches, especially the American cemetery, it's a leveler.

[CaptainBeaky]

I visited Tyne Cot cemetery and the Menin Gate when I was in Belgium a couple of years ago with our Scout troop.

The cemetery was quite emotional, but what really got me was standing under the gate, reading the names of the missing dead with my son, and finding his name up there, or at least someone with the exact same name, who died aged 19, only five years older than Rob was at the time...

[harpoonlouis]

Been a few times and I have always been pleasantly surprised by the numbers of youngsters who visit and who seem to be very reflective and respectful, they just get it.

 

My Grandfather survived Gallipoli and his five brothers survived in Europe so we ave a lot to be thankful for.

[aris]

Very true.

 

I can also recommend visiting the Normandy landing beaches, especially the American cemetery, it's a leveler.

 

Yes, the American one is beautiful - but for me, the most moving was the German one. Not a lot of people visit it, but just about every grave (or it seemed to me) was either of an unknown soldier or some young teenager kid pressed into war. Very sad. There is also a British one (though many other nationalities are buried there).

 

Driving through northern France & Belgium there were war cemeteries everywhere. Right in the middle of busy towns - shops and offices on either side - but the cemeteries & memorials are immaculate. Nice to see so much respect for the fallen.

 

Some pics from the Sanctuary Wood memorial here:

 

http://imgur.com/a/vWsbq

Edited April 30, 2015 by aris

[harpoonlouis]

Just want to agree with aris above about the state of the cemeteries, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is probably one of the unsung things we can all be very proud of. Wherever in the world I have seen cemeteries under their care they have been superb. I approached Flat Iron Copse cemetery a few years ago while some local french workers were there, without a word they moved away to another bit of the tiny cemetery until my father and I had visited and then resumed their work, very thoughtful. In Egypt I saw a very badly damaged cemetery from WW2 but two elderly maintenance men told me they would be back soon to fix it up as soon as the "hot heads" had left. They were very agitated and said they would soon be caring for the dead again. In France the Germany cemeteries are very few as Germany was not permitted the access to their dead at the end of the war in quite the same way as the Allied forces. In one German cemetery I visited there was a whole section of Jewish soldiers who's graves really upset me, if only they had known what was to come.

[aris]

Sadly, too many of these:

 

[compo90]

My son marched through the menin gate last year in his naval cadet uniform with his cadet group and a load of belgian cadets last year. (The commanding officer knew someone that made that possible)

 

I have a picture somewhere. My lad was 16 at the time.

[GaZMaN888]

We went with School when I was about 13 I think, found my Great Uncle's name on the Menin Gate so they let me lay a wreath during the last post which was nice.

 

GaZ

[Sha Bu Le]

Never been to any of these cemeteries or memorials, its not the lack of willingness more like living on a pension makes some things not possible. I would like to visit the cemeteries and the camps and if possible one day I will.

 

Feeling very choked reading your posts.

[bruno22rf]

Several years ago I tried to organise a Memorial stone for the 35 RAF crewmen who lost their lives whilst based at our local aerodrome-the Church showed no interest whatsoever and never even bothered to contact me after they had said they would. The Royal British Legion refused to give permission to add the names to the current memorial because the men who gave their lives "had nothing to do with this Parish"-(not even those who died within the Parish boundaries)-what a different attitude to our European neighbours

[AVB]

I have never visited any of the WW1 cemeteries but have visited a number of the WW2 ones in Asia. Singapore, HK and Thailand. Very, very moving. I used to attend the Remembrance Day service at Kranji in Singapore on a number of occasions. Was always held at dawn because of the heat and was well attended by locals, any visiting RN ships, British Legion etc.

[aris]

Some nice memorials here in the UK too. If you are ever in the area visit the Air Forces Memorial.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Forces_Memorial

 

Fittingly - it is right by the Heathrow flight path and only a 10-15 minute drive from Heathrow itself.

[poppythedog]

I was on the Gravenstafel Ridge last Saturday 100 years to the day from when my Gt Uncle was sent into action there with the 8th DLI in 2nd Ypres after the Canadians had been so bady affected by the 1st use of poison gas in WW1. He was the only one of 8 runners to come out alive.

We went and found the name of his mate Bob Hogg on the Menin gate. Very moving indeed.