Commemorating the First World War

Over half-term, Churcher’s College pupils once again, headed to the World War I battlefields. Our annual pilgrimage is ever popular and a great time was had by all! On day 1 of our trip, we visited three cemeteries: Lijssenthoek, Langemark and Tyne Cot.

At Lijssenthoek pupils had their first view of the memorial on the Western Front. They visited the grave of Nellie Spindler, the only women to be killed in the Ypres Salient. At all three sights pupils had some time to move around the cemeteries in contemplation of the numbers of men who died there, either identified or ‘known unto God’.

After dinner, we made our way to the Menin Gate to listen to the Last Post ceremony. We awoke the first morning in our hotel to a blanket of snow – beautiful, but slightly problematic! Unfortunately, we were snowed off the Somme, but our guide Peter did a fantastic job of adapting our plan and we stayed in-and-around Ypres for a fantastic snow-filled day of Hill 66, chocolate shops and epic snowball fights! Our last day visit to Vimy Ridge was exceptionally beautiful – and the sun came out to greet us. Our Canadian tour guide took us below ground to the tunnels in which men sheltered during bombardments and then up into the trenches.

As the shadows of our pupils fell on the snow-covered ground, it was hard not to imagine the men whose footsteps they walked in in the freezing cold. 

See photos from the trip below:

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