Schoolchildren will lay wreaths at parish war memorials the Island over on Friday – the centenary of the commencement of the Battle of the Somme.
Fought in northern France over five months, the battle between English and French troops and their German enemies was one of the bloodiest of World War One and in history. It left a million dead or injured, more than half of them on day one.
Hector Duff BEM, a 96-year-old veteran of D-Day in World War Two, and Maxine Cannon, from the Isle of Man Post Office, have organised the wreath-laying with the Department of Education and Children, while a dedicated postperson from the Isle of Man Post Office will deliver the wreaths to schools on Thursday.
Mr Duff visits schools to speak about the World Wars and received the British Empire Medal from Her Majesty the Queen, partly for his services to education.
He says it’s important children acknowledge the bravery of their forebears and the part this played in shaping life today.
‘We must never forget the men whose names are on our war memorials, or let time claim the glory of their deeds. We owe them so much and this is our way of commemorating and reflecting on this particularly terrible period of the first world war,’ he said.
Jo Richardson is Headteacher of Onchan Primary School, which will lay a wreath at the village war memorial on Friday.
She said: ‘Year 6 children recently travelled to France to visit war graves and Gold Beach, scene of the Normandy landings in World War Two. They made their own commemorative wreaths to lay on the graves of the fallen.
‘Our presence at the war memorial in Onchan on Friday will serve to ensure the children of this generation are aware of the significance of the Battle of the Somme in world history.’
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