Tears shed on battlefield visit

A GROUP of around 30 Hyndburn students visited First World War battlefields and commemoration sites.

As part of the three-day visit to Belgium, pupils from Rhyddings Business and Enterprise School in Oswaldtwistle visited the Sheffield Memorial Park and listened to accounts of what happened to the Accrington Pals.

They visited some of their graves at Queens Cemetery and spent time reflecting on what it must have been like for the men and their families. They also visited the Thiepval Memorial and Newfoundland Park.

At the Menin Gate all students watched the last post, while three were selected to lay a wreath on behalf of the school.

Another had the amazing honour of reading the ‘exhortation’. The students visited Hill 60 and spent time looking inside the pill boxes. Caterpillar Crater was a spectacular sight, with lots of photo opportunities.

Tears were shed at the Tyne Cot Military Cemetery, where all felt compelled to sign the visitor’s book.

At Sanctuary Wood, the students experienced a little of what life was like in the trenches and how soldiers ended up with ‘trench foot’.

Rhyddings students reflect at the Canadian Newfoundland Memorial to the Missing at the Somme. Inset: Year 9 student Hannah Hillary explores a ‘foxhole’