{"id":20295,"date":"2026-05-27T21:09:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T20:09:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/fi\/kirkcaldyhighschool\/?p=20295"},"modified":"2026-05-27T21:09:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T20:09:41","slug":"khs-battlefields-trip-2026-day-four-the-somme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/fi\/kirkcaldyhighschool\/2026\/05\/27\/khs-battlefields-trip-2026-day-four-the-somme\/","title":{"rendered":"KHS Battlefields Trip 2026 – Day Four, “The Somme”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"KHSThe pals were awakened at 6.15am to the sound of the pipes, and drums. Tunes of choice were \u201cFarewell To the Creeks\u201d, and \u201cThe Battle of the Somme\u201d. All were ready for breakfast at 7.00am sharp, with lunches made at 7.30am. We departed the hostel at 8.00am with all keeping to time, and ready to face the challenges of the Somme Area.<\/p>\n

My \u2018phone alerted me that I was in France before we made our first stop at Rue-Petillon Military Cemetery, Fleurbaix. This was our first graveyard, and a very appropriate one. Sarah C. had a great uncle buried here and she wanted to commemorate him with us.<\/p>\n

Sarah, Sam, Mr. Harrower, and Mrs. Harrower, went to find the grave. When they did, they signalled to me to bring the rest of the battalion over. We lined up behind Sarah, hats removed.<\/p>\n

All we could hear were the birds singing in this beautiful, peaceful place.<\/p>\n

Sam told us about Thomas George Coxall. He like so many had emigrated to Australia and this served in the 54th Battalion of the Australian Imperial Force from June 1915. He was wounded at the Battle of Fromelles, and died from his injuries on the 19th July 1916.<\/p>\n

\"KHSSarah laid a cross at his grave and we stood silent for a minute. To the strains of the hymn \u201cAbide With Me\u201d, we silently filed out of the graveyard, leaving Sarah for a moment with her thoughts.<\/p>\n

It was a beautiful, poignant moment. For the first time on this trip, I could feel the pals starting to really understand why we were here.<\/p>\n

En route to our next destination, we passed the Neuve Chapelle Memorial. This remembers Indian soldiers who died in World War I. It was the most stunningly architecturally beautiful memorial we\u2019d seen so far. The domes, and patterns clearly reflected the architecture you see in that part of the world.<\/p>\n

We also stopped at Le Touret memorial, where Miss. Dalziel laid a cross next to the plaque where her great, great uncle is remembered. Archibald Mathieson, essentially a \u201cboy soldier\u201d who died in 1915. She is the first member of her family to visit the site.<\/p>\n

After some more songs, including \u201cKeep the Home Fires Burning\u201d, and \u201cRoses of Picardy\u201d, we arrived at the Beaumont-Harmel Newfoundland Memorial. We were greeted by a young Canadian, clearly proud to be part of the team selected to look after this site.<\/p>\n

\"KHS<\/p>\n

Sam talked us through the first day of the Battle of the Somme. In particular, at this place on the 1st July 1916, a vanguard of Newfoundlanders who were certainly not planned to be \u201cfront line\u201d were decimated by German machine gun fire. Of the 780 members of the battalion who fought, only 68 from this small community replied to roll call the next day.<\/p>\n

We also saw the memorial to the 51st Division soldiers who died in the Somme. Here Sam played \u201cFlo\u2019oers O\u2019 The Forrest\u201d on the speaker as we contemplated the lost soldiers from our own area.<\/p>\n

We then arrived at Thiepval. I\u2019d been looking forward to this one for a while, as this is a site I have strong memories of when I visited in 1996, and 1998. 73 000 names are commemorated here. These are soldiers who fought at The Somme, but have no known grave. We managed to find three out of the eight Kirkcaldy names.<\/p>\n

\"KHSWith my voice shaking, I read out those, and the other names we have on this memorial.<\/p>\n