Last Friday, Mr Burchell and a dedicated team of staff took 50 Cadets and Junior Cadets to the French battlefields of the Somme. It was an early start leaving the school at 4.30am. Many cadets had never been abroad before so there was an obvious sense of excitement. After clearing customs without any hitches, the cadets were eager to explore the duty free shop where plenty of chocolate was purchased.
The cadets visited a number of sites during the day including the Beaumont Hamel Memorial where they got to see the trenches of both the German and allied forces. They visited the Lochnagar Crater where they could see the impact of heavy shelling during bombardments, but the highlight was the Thiepval Memorial. They saw the devastation and huge loss of life where every wall was covered in the names of those who had fallen at the Somme and other battles. For one cadet it was very poignant when he found the name of his great, great grandfather on one of the walls. Returning safely, parents collected some very tired students around 11pm.
This was a great experience for the cadets as part of the cadet programme.
