Category Archives: schools

commemoration, military, schools

Gallipoli commemorations

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ANZAC day screen smCommemorative events are now underway to mark the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign of World War One. The 1915 campaign on Turkish soil around the Dardanelles was an attempt by the Allied nations to force the Ottoman Empire out of the war, but failed at great cost in lives to both attackers and defenders.

On the 25th April services of remembrance took place in key locations in Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Turkey, to mark the start of the land campaign and the landing of British and Empire troops on the beaches around Gallipoli. BBC news covered the multinational ceremonies in Turkey, and the ANZAC involvement. The BBC website also published other stories about the Turkish approach to commemorations, and commemorations back in Australia.

In the UK, Gallipoli related events will be taking place on different dates and locations over the coming months. The Queen led a ceremony at the Cenotaph memorial in London.

In Scotland the usual ANZAC commemorative event on 25th April was given extra emphasis to mark the centenary, with a service at the Scottish National War Memorial in Edinburgh Castle. Wreaths were laid on behalf of Scotland, Turkey, France, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Newfoundland. The service was also broadcast to a big screen on the Castle Esplanade for the benefit of a large gathering. The BBC news story “ceremony to mark Scots role” covers the event.

Scottish involvement in the Gallipoli campaign was extensive, through the involvement of the battalions of the 52nd (Lowland) infantry division and other forces. Heavy losses of dead and injured had a great impact in large parts of Scotland. National commemorative events will be held in Scotland on the 4th June, to mark the centenary of the landings of Scottish troops, with activity in Stirling, the Borders and other locations led by local authorities and regimental associations.

commemoration, remembrance, schools

Commemoration in Woodland

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woodland trustThe commemorative period which started in 2014 has already seen examples of innovative thinking about how to mark the centenaries of World War One and the sacrifices made by the British population. The Woodland Trust has developed ambitious plans to establish thousands of acres of newly-planted woodland. There will be four Centenary Woods around the UK, one in each home nation, with the Scottish wood located at Dreghorn Woods in the Pentland hills just south of Edinburgh.

Individuals and organisations can remember family members and local servicemen by dedicating a tree in their name, and people can also volunteer to help with the planting. Local groups, such as the RAF Air Cadets, are also participating in the effort to plant and create the woodlands.

The Woodland Trust is also giving away free trees to schools, youth groups and communities, for planting in their own land to create a living memorial. Details of this part of the programme are available on the website.

competitions, military, schools

Primary schools competition

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The Legion Scotland competition for Primary school pupils 2014-15 is open for registration until 19th December.

Schools are invited to investigate, capture, record, and illustrate with photographs and stories the memories of the First World War from their local community. The ten winning pupils will be enjoy a VIP trip to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in August 2015. Selected work will also be included in a travelling exhibition around Scotland.

Teachers and pupils are asked to:
– Identify and interview people in their local community who have memories or family stories of life during WWI.
– Look at how the outbreak of war impacted on local communities and families.
– Use photography to capture and complement stories gathered as part of the project.
– Submit three pictures and 500 words summarising the ideas and stories behind the photographs.

Full details are on the Legion Scotland competition webpage.

Schools that have already registered have often linked up with their local Legion Scotland branches, to gain the support of veterans who live in the area. Teachers plan ahead for what they might work on with their pupils and many will begin their project in the New Year.

competitions, schools, war memorials

War Memorials competition for Primary schools

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The Royal British Legion Scotland has launched a competition for P6 and P7 pupils, encouraging them to research their local war memorial which commemorates the sacrifice of First World War combatants. This forms part of RBLS work to mark the centenary of the start of the Great War next year.

Pupils are asked to record key information from their chosen memorial in their town or village; to research the stories behind the people and WW1 battles associated with the memorial; and to create a multimedia presentation about their findings.

The winning students will receive a trophy for their school and individual medals, and will travel to London to ‘Kip-on-a-ship’; an overnight stay in warship HMS Belfast on the Thames, one of the outposts of the Imperial War Museum.

Full details of this competition are available from the RBLS website Competition pages. Schools must register their interest, and the final deadline for submitting entries is the 3rd March 2014.

Many Scottish teachers have already started to help their pupils learn about World War One, the contributions made by Scots and the impacts on Scottish society. This competition will complement learning about a key period of Scottish history.

Teachers who are new to supporting pupil learning on this topic may find helpful several guides produced for schools. The Western Front Association offers a resource titled ‘A First World War war memorial study’, and the War Memorials Trust has a dedicated website titled ‘learn about war memorials’.