Next week St Martins scholl are off to Westminster Abbey, to visit the tomb of the Unknown Warrior. But in the meantime they've been learning some of the less beautiful side of live in the tranches. Kimi and Peter from City of Westminster Archives and our Susannah came for classroom sessions with the young people - suffice it to say that I learnt some ... interesting
.....things. Suffice it to say, apparently one could tell new arrivals at the Front because they weren't scratching themselves silly. When soldiers ran a flame along the seams of their uniforms to get rid of the lice, it seems the lice and their eggs burst ... a whole new meaning to "snap, crackle, and pop"!
It's fortunate the replica uniforms the young folk could try on weren't authentic in EVERY aspect ....!
The pupils also examined original artefacts - here's one of my favourite pictures from the day.
Both pictures are by Mark Cornell, teacher at St Martin's
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