Head's Blog: Trip to the Somme

November 11th 2019

Head's Blog

Dear Parents,

A group of Year 7 and 8 pupils embarked on their annual trip to the battlefields of Belgium and France last weekend. We had the opportunity to see the Somme Museum, some trenches, a number of cemeteries, the Thiepval Memorial as well as the Ypres and Arras battlefields.

One of the highlights was a reading of In Flanders Fields by John McCrae at the Essex Farm cemetery, where it was written. The other highlight was attending the daily service (continuous since 1928!) at 8pm at the Menin Gate, where our pupils laid a Wreath of Remembrance.

The whole trip was both fascinating and harrowing (in parts), and our guide was quite excellent. He told us the story of Private William Frederick McFadzean who was awarded the Victoria Cross for ‘most conspicuous bravery’. The citation read:

While in a concentration trench and opening a box of bombs for distribution prior to an attack, the box slipped down into the trench, which was crowded with men, and two of the safety pins fell out. Private McFadzean, instantly realising the danger to his comrades, with heroic courage threw himself on the top of the Bombs. The bombs exploded blowing him to pieces, but only one other man was injured. He well knew his danger, being himself a bomber, but without a moment's hesitation he gave his life for his comrades.

I do believe that everyone should visit the First World War cemeteries at least once in their life time; it is a poignant and thought-provoking experience.

Richard Brown

Headmaster

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields.