bringing out the best in boys

Wellacre Joins Battlefield Tour

Posted at 12:44 pm on 24th April, 2018

Students follow WW1 soldiers route through Belgium and France

In March 2018, Year 10  Wellacre students Saif Ali and Conner Pollitt were selected to attend a special trip to tour the World War 1 battlefields, alongside other Greater Manchester school students.

Mr Gillan, Teacher of Humanities, escorted Conner and Saif, as they followed the ‘Manchester pals’ route of 1918 through Belgium and France.

Battlefields Tour 4 crop.png

Year 10 Conner, said:

“The trip was a great experience and very educational.  It enabled me to explore new facts about the first World War, as well being able to delve deeper into the experiences of those who gave their lives for us.”

Students visited a range of historical, battlefield and memorial sites including Passchendaele Memorial Museum, Hooge Crater cemetery, Langemark cemetery, Tyne Cot cemetery, Menin Gate in Ypres for the last post ceremony, Newfoundland Memorial Park, Caterpillar Valley, Thiepval Memorial, Pozieres Memorial and Manchester Hill.

Battlefields Tour 1 crop.png

Mr Gillan, said:

“It was a huge honour and a privilege for Wellacre to be involved in the commemoration of a battle involving the Manchester regiment in March 1918. These were men from our area and to stand in the places where they fought and died 100 years earlier was an extremely moving experience.

“We can describe the battlefields of the First World War in the classroom, but to actually see the landscape, imagine the challenges and follow in the footsteps of soldiers involved in that conflict, was a powerful experience.”

Year 10 Saif added:

“Conner and I had an amazing time; we learnt so much about the conditions for soldiers and the weapons they used.  It will be an experience I will always remember.”

Battlefields tour 5 crop.png

To commemorate the centenary of the battle of Manchester Hill, the village of Francillay-Selency welcomed everyone for a memorial service, which was featured on Granada ITV News:

http://www.itv.com/news/2018-03-21/poppies-laid-in-france-to-commemorate-the-hundredth-anniversay-of-battle-of-manchester-hill/

Mr Gillan, added:

“The message we saw at each of the cemeteries we visited was 'Their name liveth forever more.'  As the next generation, I am proud that Wellacre students continue to remember the sacrifice made during the Great War.”

This site uses cookies. Some of the cookies we use are essential for parts of the site to operate and have already been set. You may delete and block all cookies from this site, but parts of the site will not work. See our Cookie Usage page for more details.