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 西施直播鈥� made the ultimate sacrifice聽during the Great War.
On Friday, we visited Essex Farm cemetery, where the Canadian John McCrae composed perhaps the most famous poem of the war 鈥業n Flanders Fields鈥�. Mrs 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 西施直播鈥� 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, we enjoyed a spot of present buying (and impromptu cricket) in and around the vibrant market in the town square. It was then off to the magnificent Passchendaele Museum, before making our way to the south of Ypres to the Messines Ridge. Here the British detonated nineteen enormous mines within thirty seconds of each other in the successful offensive of June 1917. We visited the Lone Tree mine, the largest single mine used on the ridge, that created the Pool of Peace.
Before we broke for lunch, we paid homage to Private Vincent Mulligan, a relative of Thurstan H. (Fourths). Born in Rockhampton, Queensland, he was part of the 11th Australian Light Trench Mortar Battery, who first saw action at the Battle of Messines in June 1917. He was killed in action aged twenty years old on 23 June 1917 and is buried in Messines Ridge British Cemetery alongside nearly 1,500 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 of the Great War and learning about the OMTs who served. We were also treated to some sensational war poetry and the heat of a blazing sun. Mrs Shockley, Mrs Hale, and Mr Farrar Bell were of enormous help and wonderful company throughout, and I would like to thank all who made the trip possible.
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