Students meet veterans to talk about the war

Students at a North Shropshire secondary school have been bringing history to life by talking to veterans of the 2^nd World War in the run-up to the 80^th anniversary of V.E Day.

Five residents with a combined age of 475 joined Year 10 youngsters at Ellesmere’s Lakelands Academy to tell them about their wartime experiences.

Their memories will be preserved in a WW2 archive and featured in a special service and exhibition at Ellesmere parish church on Thursday evening, May 8, marking Victory in Europe and Nazi Germany’s surrender after nearly six years of brutal conflict that cost millions of lives.

The project has been carried out in partnership with the local branch of the Royal British Legion, the town council and the parish church.

Mrs Kathy Saul, who teaches history and religion at Lakelands explained: “Bringing the older and younger generations together like this really helps to break down barriers. We wanted to bring history and commemoration to life so that it’s not just on paper. I thought it would be lovely to do this as an oral history and literacy project because there’s such a rich vein of history locally and it can be lost sometimes. It also fits well with the curriculum.”

Among the veterans taking part in the 90-minute get-together was 103-year-old Mrs Sally Baggaley, from Welshampton, who began training as a nurse on the day after the war began in September 1939. She served in hospitals throughout the war, helping to look after victims of bombing raids on London, troops wounded during the 1940 Dunkirk evacuation and Allied soldiers who came under fire after the D Day landings in Normandy four years later.

Ellesmere resident Peter Roth, aged 98, told students how he was called up to serve in the Royal Navy at the age of 17. Shortly after V.E Day he was posted to the Far East and spent several years clearing mines dropped in the seas around Hong Kong, Singapore and North Borneo during the war against Japan.

The students were fascinated to see 92-year-old Michael Judge’s collection of wartime memorabilia. It included pieces of bomb shrapnel collected from the streets around his home in Portsmouth, the naval city which suffered frequent air raids that forced his family to spend many long nights in an air raid shelter.

“I really enjoyed talking to the young people,” he said. “They were very inquisitive and showed such great interest in what I was able to tell them, as well as showing them the things that I’ve kept from the war.”

Retired teacher Mrs Trish Pritchard described how she was a six-year-old growing up on a fam at Lyneal, near Ellesmere when war was declared. Her father was part of the local agricultural community, working tirelessly to produce food to keep the national from starving, while also serving as a sergeant with the local Home Guard unit.

Tim Potter, aged 90, remembered the church bells ringing when VE Day finally arrived. “Everyone was happy because there were no more bombs and having to go down to the cellar when the air sirens sounded.”

The veterans’ wartime experiences made a big impression on 14-year-olds Amelia and Enija. “It’s been great to hear their personal stories,” said Amelia. It’s been far more interesting than reading about it in books or seeing things in a museum.” Enija added: “It’s helped to put everything in perspective and helped me to understand how people felt at the time . We could really feel the emotions of what they went through, especially during things like air raids.”

Bob McBride, chairman of the Royal British Legtion’s Ellesmere and District branch, said: “It’s been a real privilege to bring the veterans and the young people together. They all got on so well , you wouldn’t believe there was such a big age gap. The students are a credit to Lakelands and we’re delighted that they’ll be speaking about the get-together during the church service.”

The V.E anniversary service at St Mary’s parish church on Thursday evening, May 8 will begin with a short service of remembrance and civic wreath-laying at the war memorial, from 7.30, followed by the anniversary service inside the church from 7.45. A beacon will be lit outside the church at 9.30 as part of a nationwide chain of beacons. Pupils from Ellesmere primary school and the Porthywaen Silver band will also be taking part.