After two fallow years (due to COVID), the King’s Bruton Battlefields Tour has come back - and its return was better than ever!
Sunday morning at 4am saw us load our double-decker coach with luggage for 68 pupils and seven staff. After a smooth and speedy border check at Dover we crossed the channel. Our first stop was Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, located eight miles outside of Ypres. Here we met our superb guide, John, who ran us through the history of the Great War, before showing us the grave of Staff Nurse Nellie Spindler - the only woman buried in the cemetery alongside 10,000 men. It is such individual stories that cut through the statistics and provide a deep relevance to studying the Great War and its impact. Sunday evening saw us arrive at our wonderful hotel near Ypres where we were excellently cared for over the next four days.
Monday’s focus was the Ypres Salient, where we considered the horrors of Passchendaele and the nature of trench warfare. Stops included a visit to Essex Farm to see the remains of a field dressing station, Langemark German Cemetery to appreciate the contrast in remembrance styles, Zonnebeke Memorial Museum to get to grips with trench clothing, weaponry, mining and munitions, and a visit to Caterpillar Crater to see the effects of mines being detonated.
Tuesday saw us journey across to the Somme in France, to appreciate the reasons why the famous battle in 1916 proved to be so deadly and ineffective. The Thiepval Memorial and a visit to Serre provided ample opportunities for us all to reflect on the history, poetry, and literature that was shaped by the madness of the Somme. Across both the Ypres Salient day and Somme day, several pupils were able to pay their respects to ancestors who fought and died during the Great War.
Alongside, all the history, English, and remembrance, there was a lot of socialising and laughter - the tour proved to be a great success for pupils forging/strengthening friendships across the year group. Another highlight occurred late on Tuesday afternoon when Mr Hambleton and several King’s pupils were honoured to bump into the Vice Chairman of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Lt Gen Sir Bill Rollo KCB CBE, whilst they were visiting Serre Road Cemetery No.1.
Wednesday morning involved wrapping up the tour by visiting Tyne Cot which commemorates nearly 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom and New Zealand who died in the Ypres Salient after 16th August 1917, and whose graves are not known. It was here that we held a short service of remembrance, reflecting on Jesus Christ’s words recorded in John chapter 15, verse 13,” Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
The pupils gained a huge amount from the tour and should be congratulated for such an excellent attitude. Furthermore, thanks must go to our guide, John, and to all the staff who helped plan and run such an unforgettable tour. We are already looking forward to next year’s!
Rev’d George Beverly - Chaplain & History Teacher
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