What a day! We were all up early doors for a day in France visiting the Battle of the Somme.

We started off with Newfoundland Park. Owned by the Canadians, this area of land was witness to one of the bloodiest battles of WW1 – Battle of the Somme. For reference, only 2 out of 10 men fighting is this area returned home after the war. Euan, our official tour piper, played the “Taking of Beaumont Hamel” at the 51st Highlanders memorial.

We then went on to visit the Thiepval memorial. The largest memorial dedicated to missing soldiers, Thiepval contains 74,000 names of soldiers who never returned home.

Dartmoor Cemetery – We then visited Dartmoor cemetery and our guides, Ranald and Nicola, told us some fascinating stories of a few graves. We heard about a father and son buried side by side, a young VC recipient and the oldest soldier killed in WW1. Euan also played “Flowers of the Forrest” at Dartmoor Cemetery. It was extremely moving and a special moment for all pupils and staff.

Lochnagar – We next visited Lochnagar, a huge crater 80ft deep by 20ft wide caused by 24 tonnes of explosives. The explosion was so big, it was felt in London!

Lastly we visited Vimy Ridge. This impressive Canadian memorial stands tall, overlooking the Battlefield of the Somme.

Today was extra special, as we were able to visit two graves of our young people’s relatives. It was a moving experience for Kai, Kevin and Matthew who paid their respects to their ancestors.

Tomorrow we are attending the Menin Gate ceremony – stand by for updates!