On Monday 12th October, all of Bloxham School’s Third Form visited RAF Halton as guests of Squadron Leader Gary Coleman.
The main focus of the trip was to see the fully restored First World War trenches which were originally dug by British infantry soldiers as part of their basic training in 1914, and have recently been restored by RAF recruits. The trip offered students a fantastic opportunity to understand what life would have been like in the front line of the trench, with students given an incredibly informative talk by Flight Lieutenant Andy Claesens. This looked at all aspects of trench warfare including both the nature of fighting but also everyday life in the trenches with a particular focus on issues such as disease and sanitation. Students also visited the airbase’s museum and flight heritage centre, allowing them to trace the development of both flight and the airbase over the previous century. It was a most informative day, and we wish to extend our thanks to all of those from RAF Halton who made the visit possible.