Harriet Fern read the following poem beautifully:

Normandy – Cyril Crain (Juno veteran)

Come and stand in memory
Of men who fought and died
They gave their lives in Normandy
Remember them with pride.

Soldiers, Airman, sailors
Airborne and marines
Who in civvy life were tailors
and men who worked machines.

British and Canadian
And men from USA
Forces from the Commonwealth
They all were there that day

To Juno, Sword and Utah
Beaches of renown
Also Gold and Omaha
That’s where the ramps went down.

The battle raged in Normandy
Many lives were lost
The war must end in victory
And this must be the cost

When my life is over
And I reach the other side
I’ll meet my friends from Normandy
And shake their hands with pride.

Local poet and author Anthony Brady also had this to say:

Blaisdon Village WW2 – D-DAY and Huntley Primary School – Class Estuary - Children’s Contribution.

An Appreciation.

1. “At that point I was running through the water to save the country.  2. “Is my family safe? – I thought.” 3. “I am Arthur, I hope this story lasts for years and years.”  4. “All my equipment was dragging me down and made me slow and tired.” 5. “This was not the day for me to die – I regret joining the army – but I know I was doing a good deed.” 6. “I thought I was going to die in this horrid war. Why did I leave all my family  behind?”

Just a random half dozen selection quotations from the 31 highly commendable contributing child authors.

How inspiring to see and read of how young minds engage with history on the beaches of Normandy: their acts of reverence are evident in the vivid narratives they composed for the exhibition provided to the Blaisdon Village Hall D-Day Commemoration display. It graphically visualized the men who stormed those beaches during the D-Day invasion. Their project called:  - INTO THE JAWS OF DEATH -  commemorated the 80th anniversary of that historic event. Alongside this symbolic gesture, the boys and girls fostered empathy and understanding of the actualities of war.

The D-Day landings were a pivotal moment, and remembering the sacrifices made by those brave soldiers is essentially heart-warming to imagine young comrades supporting each other during wartime. These acts of bravery they movingly described and the camaraderie invoked, inspired hope even in the darkest times.

The writing and graphics provided chances for Primary School children to put empathy into action. Volunteering from a homeland family setting helps them understand other’s needs and develop compassion. Their descriptive writing encouraged small acts of kindness, like going to assist their wounded comrades. Remarkably the young writers conveyed their thoughts of relatives in England awaiting the outcome of the battles.

In complimenting the children for their achievement - it would be remiss to underestimate the guidance of their teachers, who set for the children a WW2 Normandy scenario. Their pupil’s resultant attention span and the ability to describe through writing and their varied use of artistic and historic education materials, is a magnificent measure of professional teaching outcome.

AJMB.

June 2024