History Comes To Life With WW2 Veterans Visit
Chris Prince
/ Categories: News
Year 9 History students were given a taste of life during the Second World War, as they were visited by local veterans.
Four members of the Stockport Normandy Veterans spent time with the year group to share their experiences of serving with the armed forces and also what life was like in Britain during WW2.
Theo Eaves and Alfred Barlow (96 and 97 years old respectively) told a captivated audience of their time behind enemy lines during campaigns in Italy and France, with Theo sharing his stories of being in the RAF as a Wireless Operator during bombing raids across Europe, and Alfred talking about his work operating a Half-Track on reconnaissance missions whilst on active service in Normandy as part of the D-Day campaign - Operation Overlord.
Meanwhile, Freda Ward and Sheila Burns spoke about living through the war at home – explaining about rationing, evacuees and many other differences between school life then and now.
The group also launched a very exciting Legacy Competition, inviting students to carry out their own research into the part Stockport played in the Second World War. They offered advice on questions students could ask veterans in interviews as part of their research, and how they can put together a 500-word essay to submit. The competition is open to students across the borough, and you can access all the information from the presentation here.
Lead Teacher of History Mr Roberts said: “This was an amazing opportunity to learn first-hand about World War Two on a personal level and we would like to thank Theo, Alfred, Freda and Sheila for taking the time to visit and share their experiences with us.
“Our Year 9s held onto their every word and I look forward to reading their essays!”