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10 November 2017

Annual Remembrance activities have been taking place across Birkenhead School through the Prep and Seniors who both held services to commemorate those who have been lost to war.

At 11am today, services included two minutes’ silence, hymns and prayers in respect of those who have died during times of warfare. The Last Post and Reveille were played by Matthew Oulton in Upper Sixth.

In the lead up to Remembrance Day a variety of activities have been taking place throughout the School to encourage students to think about the human stories behind war.

Mr McGrath, a former History teacher for over 20 years at Birkenhead School, as well as a pupil himself, has been particularly involved in bringing these stories to life. Mr McGrath brought Year 6 and Year 8 classes down to Chapel to view the plaques and tablets which adorn the walls featuring names for Old Birkonians – pupils and staff – who had been killed in the First and Second World Wars. 

 

He encouraged the students to think about these people, who had sat in the same Chapel pews as they were, and remember their sacrifice. The descriptions of families who had lost multiple sons, and the cricket team of 1911 who lost four of its members during the First World War, were particularly poignant and helped the students to understand the human aspects of the casualties of war.

 

Henry George in Year 8 also wrote a piece about Mr McGrath’s visit:

On Wednesday 8th November, Old Birkonian and former History teacher, Mr McGrath, came in to talk to Year 8 students about the Old Birkonians who were involved in the Great War. 

Year 8 students have been studying First World War poetry in English this term, so learning about the School’s part in the war was especially meaningful.

Mr McGrath spoke about the McSwiney family, who had two daughters and five sons.  Sadly, three sons didn’t make it back from the war.  He also told us about the Ashcroft family, who had six sons and two daughters.  Again, three of their sons didn’t make it back.  Another Old Birkonian, Sykes, is buried at Beaumont Hamel on the Somme. On his grave stone, his parents had inscribed the School motto, ‘Blessed are the Pure in Heart’. 

The lesson was very interesting but it was also very sad to hear how 96 former students had died in the war. 

I would like to thank Mr McGrath, on behalf of Year 8, for sharing some stories of the Old Birkonians who died in the First World War.