Oathall student Ruby Roe had the unique opportunity last week to lay a wreath at the grave of her great-great grandfather, Harry Freeman. Ruby visited his grave on a World War I history trip to Belgium. 44 students in year 9 travelled from Oathall for a tour of the battlefields and cemeteries surrounding the town of Ypres. The trip took place to give students a greater awareness of the conflict. They visited sites and cemeteries to gain an understanding of the bravery and suffering of the fallen and to reinforce what they had learnt in the classroom.
Student Ruby Roe found out the location of her great-great grandfather’s grave beforehand and asked if it would be possible to visit it as part of the tour. Luckily, the tour passed the cemetery at Hooge and Ruby was able to visit the grave and lay a wreath in remembrance. Ruby was the first person in her family to have ever visited the grave. The experience was moving for everyone present.
Later in the day, Oathall students were also privileged to attend the Last Post Ceremony. This takes place every day at the Menin Gate memorial to the missing in Ypres. Oathall students, James Hurn, Beth Gibbons and Bank Neeson were chosen to take part in the ceremony and lay a wreath at the memorial. After the wreath-laying, students and visitors gathered under the gate to hear the Exhortation from Laurence Binyon’s poem ‘For the Fallen’.
Visiting a grave with a personal connection to an Oathall student and taking part in the Menin Gate ceremony gave everyone a deeper understanding of the sacrifices made by the men who gave their lives in the Great War. It was a moving and inspiring visit that no one will forget.
