Pupils’ Armistice Service
Children from 10 schools across the county marked the upcoming Armistice Day with a service at Lincoln’s International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC).
The day involved all the key components of a traditional Remembrance Day service and was conducted by Royal Air Force Padre, Chris Hodder. The Last Post played by a bugler, a two-minute silence was observed and the event culminated in the children placing poppies and laying wreaths.
The 275 pupils had taken part in a poetry competition before the event focused on Remembrance Day with a selection of children reading their pieces to the audience during the service.
Nicky van der Drift, chief executive of the IBCC, said: “It’s essential that we involve young people in Armistice Day and use it as an opportunity to teach them about the sacrifices made by those that died whilst protecting our freedoms. Understanding the historic significance of this event keeps people’s memories alive, just as we do for those involved in Bomber Command at the IBCC.”
More than 3,300 additional children across the country were supported in learning about Remembrance Day and marking the events with an assembly package of educational materials provided by the IBCC.
Delina Belcher, teacher at Waddington Redwood Primary School, said: “'I think it's almost becoming increasingly important to remember all of the people who sacrificed their lives for us in the past, partly because we now have a generation of children who maybe don't have living relatives who were there at the time. It's still important that they do know, and they do remember.
“As a Forces child myself, Remembrance Day has always been a very special day thinking about my uncles and my grandparents who were all involved in the war and just that time of remembrance and gratitude.
“I feel very privileged to live in Lincolnshire and I was thrilled when Bomber Command opened. It's wonderful that we can take the children there for a remembrance service and also as part of our curriculum. Also, the poignancy of the spire, the plaques and the names – just so, so many names.”