New book remembers Academy’s fallen heroes
Former teacher pens tome on First World War
Rector Johnny Lothian presents the new book to Dave Dykes A retired teacher from Perth has written a new book documenting the history of one of the city’s schools during the First World War.
Dave Dykes has written “Perth Academy and the Great War”, telling the stories of the fallen soldiers who came from the secondary school.
As part of the school’s commemoration of the First World War (1914-1918), a group of pupils wanted to mark the death of every soldier listed on the school’s war memorial, which is housed in the academy’s assembly hall and is a listed monument.
The former technical teacher has been researching those from the school who died during the war with a group set up in the school called “Flowers of the Forest Group”, by looking in the city’s archives, speaking to the soldiers’ families and contacting people from where they fell .
Every week Mr Dykes would present information on each soldier to the school group.
Now, he has taken this information to create the book, where each soldier has a dedicated page to their life and death.
Since the project was created, the parent council offered to commission three hard-back copies of the book.
The three books have been gifted to the parent council, the Flowers of the Forest group, and to Dave Dykes himself.
Over the past few years to mark 100 years since the First World War, regular 15 minute memorial ceremonies have been held at the war memorial in the school’s assembly halls, where family members and pupils attend to mark the fallen soldiers.
Johnny Lothian, Perth Academy’s rector, said: “Thanks to the passion, curiosity and tireless efforts of Dave Dykes and the generosity of the parent council, the school now has a detailed and very personal record of each and every individual who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
He added: “This gift and its legacy will ensure that many young people will remember for generations to come.
“Dave’s enterprise has also resulted in several new ties being established with the wider Perth Academy community and diaspora.” One of the copies was given to the Flowers of the Forest group
Dave Dykes talks maths teacher Grace Low through the book