There was to be no sauntering or slouching in the Corporal’s company, and woe betide anyone whose shirt was not tucked in. Volunteers were kitted out with various elements of a private soldier’s uniform and equipment from the First World War. The first volunteer was struck by the weight of the items to be worn and carried, especially given the prospect of twenty miles marching per day. Students rather liked the animal skins that replaced the ever waterlogged greatcoats, but no one was keen on the prospect of a urine soaked sock as protection against a chlorine gas attack. We heard about the development of grenades from improvised jam jars to highly effective explosives, and enjoyed a demonstration comparing British and German rifles from the beginning of the war. 

We are grateful to Dickie and Anglia Tours for getting Year 9 history off to such an exciting start, and hope that his presentation encourages students to look forward to the Y9 History curriculum as well as the 2023 battlefields trip to France and Belgium.