Lunch time meeting

⬇️⬇️⬇️ come along to get help with some extra revision! Room 326

The young people have thoroughly enjoyed the war time songs this trip. They don’t even need their song sheets anymore! 🫡

🫡✨☺️‼️

We then visited Langemark German War Cemetery. A solemn WWI site where over 44,000 German soldiers are buried - including nearly 25,000 in a mass grave. Known as the “Studentenfriedhof” for the many young student volunteers who died in 1914.

Heading to Dunkirk Harbour 😁

To finish our Battlefields trip, we completed a private ceremony let by our tour guide Jim, Mrs McMullan, Fraser, Rhys, Olivia & Kayla. We will remember them.

A beautiful display of respect from our Braes High school pupils at the Menin Gate ceremony. @braeshighschool.bsky.social

At this stop, we also got a chance to go inside the dugouts

Waiting for the Menin Gate Ceremony ‼️

3 amazing young people each from Braes & St Mungos high school have been picked to represent their schools during the Menin Gate ceremony tonight. 😁

We marched down passchendaele ridge where the soldiers would have marched. Mr McKay especially enjoyed himself 🫡

Tyne Cot Cemetery is Europe’s largest Commonwealth WWI cemetery. Nearly 12000 graves, a Memorial to the Missing inscribed with 35000 names, and a World Heritage site built around captured German pillboxes.

Essex Farm Cemetery holds around 1,200 Commonwealth graves - about 100 unknown. It was here that Lt‑Col John McCrae wrote his iconic poem In Flanders Fields on 3 May 1915 after burying his friend Alexis Helmer.

Our last day of sight seeing 🫡

Today we visited Lewis’ great great uncles grave. We paid tribute to him in a private ceremony & Lewis paid his respects by leaving a cross & pin. We will remember him.

Reflecting on a busy day today. Well done everyone, you are all amazing 🤩 #teamlegend

Vimy Ridge was the site of a major WWI battle in April 1917, where the Canadian Corps captured the ridge from German forces. It is believed to be the turning point in the Great War. Today, the Vimy Memorial stands there, honouring over 11,000 Canadian soldiers who died in France with no known grave.

The Lochnagar Crater was created on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, by a huge British mine explosion under German lines. Measuring about 91 meters wide and 21 meters deep, it remains one of the largest man-made mine craters from WWI. It is now preserved as a memorial.

The Lochnagar Crater.

Dartmoor Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves cemetery from World War I. Established in 1915, it contains the graves of British and Commonwealth soldiers, many of whom died in the Battle of the Somme. It serves as a quiet place of remembrance for those who gave their lives in the war.

First stop of today: Newfoundland Park, a memorial to the Newfoundland Regiment who fought in WWI, especially during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. On July 1st, the regiment suffered devastating losses, with over 700 of 800 men killed, wounded, or missing within 30 minutes. 🇫🇷

The Thiepval Memorial in northern France commemorates over 72,000 British & South African soldiers who died in the Battle of the Somme during WW1 and have no known grave. Unveiled in 1932, it stands as the largest Commonwealth war memorial and a symbol of remembrance for the missing of the Somme.

Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

Off to the Somme today. 2 hour drive into France. The young people have been absolutely amazing - such a credit to Braes & St Mungos high school 🚌 @braeshighschool.bsky.social @stmungoshs.bsky.social

Lewis is the “star of the day” for today ⭐️- lovely Lewis was picked for answering questions, getting involved & for being an absolute legend 🥳 well done, Lewis - proud of you!

Reflecting on our very busy day today! ☺️ well done everyone ‼️

We will remember them

We visited Hill 60 & saw the French & German front lines - which were about 25 yards away from one another. A very informative & insightful day for our young people. ☀️😁

We managed to fit 29 of us into the underground bunker - very little space & very very hot 🤣 well done everyone! ✨🤩

This pillbox was part of the German fortifications during their occupation of Hill 60. The inside would have housed machine guns and German troops tasked with defending the hill from Allied assaults.

Walking through the frontline trench tunnel - without our flash on our phone it was pitch black!! 🔦

Some more pics from today during our visit of the frontline trench 😁

We saw old shells that had exploded on the sight. We then got to see some that have not yet exploded & could still be live (behind the wire). Afterwards we headed into the museum to see the real artefacts left from after the war. A very insightful & interesting day so far 😁

Today we went to visit a front line trench. We walked through it and learned about conditions for soldiers during the trenches & even got to go through a tunnel which would have been used during the Great War (I am glad I brought my wellies!) ‼️

We are in the trenches! Learning loads about life in the trenches for soldiers - rats became the size of small foxes!!! 🫣

📍the Southern Lip of Ypres Salient

The Pool of Peace was formed on 7 June 1917 by a British mine explosion during the Battle of Messines Ridge. They used 91,000 pounds of explosives under German lines, killing hundreds. The resulting crater filled with rainwater and is now a symbol of peace and a reminder of the devastation of war.

UNO No Mercy to unwind (🫣)

🍴🍴🍴hungry lot after today’s adventures

Marvellous Mel was picked for bringing the Braes & St Mungos groups together - she made an effort to integrate both groups of young people and create friendships. Well done - you are a legend ‼️

Mel was picked as “Star of the Day” - well done Mel - you are amazing ⭐️

Arrived at the hostel 🚎 🧳 more updates to follow tonight ☺️

We have spent the afternoon in Bruges! Everyone is having a great time so far! 🤩

We have boarded the ferry ⛴️

Stop 3 complete ✅ everyone is starting to perk up after a coffee & some food. 1 hour & 15 minutes ish until Dover 🤩 UNO update - Aoife & Oliver now winners (Mel came last twice…) ‼️‼️

Stop 2 complete ✅ most of us have had a power nap 💤 some tired faces now!