For the May half term, students from year 8, 9 and 10 had a fantastic experience when they took off on an insightful and poignant trip to Belgium. Staying in Belgium and travelling through to France on day 2, the group packed a lot into their trip and came away with plenty of memories and lessons learned.
While in Belgium, pupils gained a powerful and authentic insight into the history of the Ypres Salient. The visit began at Essex Farm, where they had their first experience of a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery. Here, they were able to familiarise themselves with its features and reflect on the site where John McCrae famously wrote In Flanders Fields.
From there, the group travelled to Langemarck to visit a German war cemetery. This provided a stark contrast, helping pupils understand the very different ways Britain and Germany were able, or permitted, to commemorate their war dead. At Langemarck, pupils visited a mass grave, which gave them a visual understanding of the scale and devastation of conflict.
The next stop was the In Flanders Fields Museum, located in the historic Cloth Hall in the centre of Ypres. This interactive museum offers each visitor a digital wristband to tap at various stations, tracking personal wartime experiences and exploring the course of the conflict. At the end of the exhibit, pupils encountered a constantly updating memorial that records the number of global conflicts since the end of the First World War, which was intended to be the "war to end all wars". Many were shocked to realise just how many wars have occurred in their own lifetimes.
The group then visited Tyne Cot, the world’s largest military cemetery. It was here that pupils found the name of one of Tranby’s former pupils, laid a wreath, and observed a minute’s silence in his memory. One current pupil also discovered the name of her great-great-uncle among the memorials and honoured him with a wreath from the school.
After a brief return to the hotel for dinner, the day concluded at the famous Last Post Ceremony held at the Menin Gate. This daily tribute – held every evening at 8pm – is performed by buglers from the local fire brigade and honours the memory of the soldiers of the British Empire and Commonwealth who died in the Ypres Salient during the First World War and have no known grave. This year, two pupils, Eva from Year 10 and Josie from Year 9, represented Tranby and laid a wreath during the service. The ceremony was a deeply moving experience for all. Afterwards, pupils located another great-great-grandparent's name on the memorial, and a few were delighted to meet and speak with the British Ambassador, thanks in part to their enthusiasm for her lovely little dog, Poppy!
Day Two: France
The day in France began at Lochnagar Crater, where pupils faced the worst rain of the trip, which made exploration a little challenging. Despite this, the sheer scale of the crater, created by a single mine during the Battle of the Somme, gave pupils a strong sense of the destructive power of trench warfare.
From there, they travelled to Thiepval to see the Memorial to the Missing, as well as a British and French cemetery placed side by side to symbolise unity and cooperation during the war.
Next was Newfoundland Park, a section of preserved battlefield now owned by Canada. Here, pupils learned about the Newfoundland Regiment and took a guided tour of the site, which included a visit to the poignant Danger Tree.
The final stop was Vimy Ridge. Pupils first visited the striking memorial with its two towering white marble pillars and multiple accompanying statues. Afterwards, they descended into the preserved tunnels to gain a deeper understanding of life below the trenches, how difficult it was to move, communicate, and survive underground.
Throughout the day, staff were able to highlight not just what happened in these locations, but why. The Battle of the Somme is often remembered for its staggering loss of life, and it is frequently questioned as to why it was launched at all or why it continued. Standing on the ground itself made the reasoning clear. Pupils could see the strategic importance of these positions and understand why these battles were fought, even in the face of such overwhelming cost.